Taliban attack Afghan border outpost

AFP:

Three US and two Latvian troops were killed when insurgents stormed a military outpost in northeastern Afghanistan on Friday, officials said, in the deadliest incident for foreign forces in Afghanistan in months.

The militants attacked a small remote outpost of soldiers in the mountainous northeastern province of Kunar near the border with Pakistan, US military spokeswoman Captain Elizabeth Mathias told AFP.

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Latvia has around 160 soldiers in Afghanistan and those in Kunar are involved in mentoring the growing Afghan forces.

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The joint statement said Afghan and international troops returned fire and called in air support after coming under attack.

"The insurgents withdrew and ISAF-Afghan forces are in pursuit," it said, giving no other details.

About 30 soldiers were stationed in the outpost, Mathias said.

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The BBC report says the insurgents fled after the air attack, which is become pretty typical of Taliban tactics of late.

I think these border outpost are interfering with the Taliban's ability to infiltrate into the country and that is why this one came under attack. I suspect we will see more such border outpost as more troops come into the country.

Unfortunately, Secretary Gates says that he will not be providing the additional 10,000 troops requested by commanders on top of the new troops Obama has already ordered to Afghanistan. Gates wants to focus on building up the Afghan forces at this time.