KABUL, 7 May 2005 — Taleban rebels have been moving in larger numbers since the end of the winter, making them vulnerable to big losses in stepped up attacks by government and US-led forces, Afghan officials said yesterday. About 60 insurgents have been killed in recent days in two battles against US and Afghan government forces backed by air power, the US military said.
But a Taleban spokesman denied heavy losses, saying most of the dead were civilians. The clashes were the latest in a surge of rebel violence since a winter lull raised hope their insurgency might be fading, even though the Taleban had vowed to launch a spring offensive. “We’ve stepped up our operations and at the same time the Taleban have been operating in bigger numbers since the weather warmed up,” said Salim Khan, a senior police official in Kandahar province in the south. “So they easily lose men in fighting, whether they’re attacking or defending,” he said.
About 20 rebels were believed killed in a battle in Kandahar province on Wednesday, the US military said, after they killed nine government soldiers in an ambush. The day before, 40 insurgents were killed in neighboring Zabul province, the US military said.
The losses would be the heaviest since up to 50 Taleban were killed in a battle with US forces in Khost province, near the border with Pakistan, in August last year.
But a Taleban spokesman, Abdul Latif Hakimi, dismissed the casualty figures as US propaganda. “Most of the dead have been civilians,” he said by telephone from an undisclosed location. “Our casualties are low because we only carry out only guerrilla attacks.”
Five Taleban had been killed while dozens of US and Afghan soldiers had died, he said, vowing more attacks. The governor of Zabul province and the US military said authorities were getting more help from villagers in their hunt for militants. “Our success is also because of cooperation from locals who inform us about the whereabouts of Taleban and their friends,” said Governor Dilbar Arman.
More than 100 people, most of them militants but including several members of the 18,300-strong US-led force, have been killed since March. “Traditionally, you see insurgents coming out more at this time but the capability of the coalition and the ANA is 365 days,” said US military spokeswoman Lt. Cindy Moore, referring to US-led troops and Afghan National Army. “We’re able to take the fight to them any time, anywhere.”
