Mountain thrust taliban toll rises to 100

Sunday Independent:

More than 100 Taliban fighters have been killed so far in the biggest offensive against the former rulers of Afghanistan since they were overthrown in 2001, US commanders claimed yesterday.

The most successful action in the three days of Operation Mountain Thrust was an overnight bombing raid against a compound in Uruzgan province, in the lawless central highlands of Afghanistan. More than 40 Taliban fighters were said to have died in what was described as an attack on a meeting of insurgents in a "known enemy camp", including a bomb-making team, local financiers and commanders.

"Coalition forces tracked the development of this meeting until there were more than 50 extremists gathered before attacking the compound," said a US military spokesman, Lt Col Paul Fitzpatrick. "The compound was severely damaged, and we anticipate most of those present were killed."

It is rare, however, for the US-led forces to encounter the enemy in such large numbers. More typical was another clash in Uruzgan in which American and Afghan forces reported killing five Taliban insurgents in a compound near the provincial capital, Tarin Kowt.

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There is more. In the last few weeks such hits on the Taliban have not been that rare, as they have attempted to mass their forces for the "spring offensive." Events in the last few weeks have been disasterous for the Taliban and this operation appears to continue that trend.