US Attack on Taliban Prison Leaves 18 Dead
Written by TOLOnews
In operations conducted by the US-led coalition forces in the south-western Helmand province, at least 13 Taliban militants and five hostages were killed and 27 prisoners were freed, local officials reported on Wednesday.
The overnight operations had taken place in Musa Qala district in Helmand, Dawood Ahmadi, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, told TOLOnews.
"All the prisoners who were imprisoned by a Taliban commander called Mullah Qayoom, were released," he added.
He also said that militants had executed five of the hostages before the US-led forces reached the Taliban hideout.
Two of those executed were employees of a US firm, Economic Recovery and Development (ERD Group).
Ahmadi said the freed hostages were on their way to the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
Musa Qala was under Taliban control for years, but currently US forces are stationed there.
The US-led coalition forces have escalated their counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan in an effort to wipe out Taliban insurgents from the country's volatile regions.
www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/322-us-attack-on-taliban-prison-leaves-18-dead
Aug. 19, 2010