Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 30, 2007

US Says 136 Taleban Killed in Western Afghanistan
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1745F63:A6F02AD83191E1602C400C278975DEA29574F7DCC14957C0 Officials say
coalition forces targeted Taleban insurgents in remote Zerkoh Valley
region





Villagers surrounded bodies of Afghan men who were allegedly killed
during  raid in Bati Kot area, 29 Apr 2007 U.S. and Afghan officials
say they have inflicted serious losses on Taleban insurgents in recent
days. VOA's Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad.

Coalition officials say they killed at least 136 Taleban militants
during three days of intense fighting in the western Afghan province
of Herat.

U.S. Army Major Chris Belcher says coalition forces including U.S.
special forces and Afghan national police targeted Taleban insurgents
in the remote Zerkoh Valley region.

Local villagers south of the provincial capital accused the coalition
forces of killing civilians. The fighting sparked massive anti-U.S.
and anti-government protests in the province, which is typically
considered relatively secure and stable.

Belcher says the attacks included air support, but he says every
precaution was taken to prevent injury to innocent civilians, and no
such injuries were reported.

Speaking by phone from Afghanistan, Belcher said the bulk of the
Taleban casualties occurred in fighting on Sunday.

"A total of seven enemy positions were destroyed and 87 Taleban
fighters were killed during the 14-hour engagement," he said.

He says U.S. and Afghan forces also killed 49 insurgents in the same
valley two days earlier.

One U.S. soldier was reported killed in the fighting there on Friday.

Insurgents, meanwhile, are also under pressure in the southern
province of Helmand, where NATO-led forces are advancing deep inside
the Taleban's traditional stronghold in the lower Sangin Valley.

More than 2,000 NATO and Afghan forces launched Operation Silicon
there on Monday - part of an ongoing operation that started nearly
two-months ago in an attempt to regain control over strategic parts of
Helmand province.

Helmand is considered a key battleground in the fight to control
Afghanistan.

It is the country's largest producer of opium, and Afghan authorities
say the Taleban are now major players in the illegal drug trade.

Drug enforcement officers say the insurgents are managing vast
portions of the billion-dollar industry, which produces 90 percent of
the world's heroin.

The authorities say that more than five years after being driven from
power by U.S.-led forces, the Taleban is using its drug money to
purchase new weapons and hire fresh fighters.


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