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Taleban 'in police uniform' ploy Taleban 'in police uniform' ploy
(10 minutes later)
American special forces and Afghan troops have killed three Taleban insurgents who attacked them disguised as policemen, the US military says.American special forces and Afghan troops have killed three Taleban insurgents who attacked them disguised as policemen, the US military says.
They say the incident happened when a joint patrol of US and Afghan forces came under small arms fire in the Shindand district of Herat province.They say the incident happened when a joint patrol of US and Afghan forces came under small arms fire in the Shindand district of Herat province.
They say that the Taleban had established a makeshift checkpoint at the scene of the clash on Wednesday. They say that the Taleban established a checkpoint there on Wednesday.
Three other Taleban fighters were injured in the fighting, the US says. In separate fighting in the south, US and Afghan forces say they killed 24 Taleban militants in Helmand province.
There has been no independent confirmation of the casualty figures.
'Terrorise locals''Terrorise locals'
They say that no Afghan civilians were injured during the fire fight. US officials say that no Afghan civilians were injured during the fire fight in Shindand, in which they say three other Taleban members were wounded.
The Taleban are accused of 'discrediting' the police class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/6568561.stm">Taleban 'war crimes'
There has been no independent confirmation of the incident.There has been no independent confirmation of the incident.
Over the past two days US and Afghan forces say that they have confiscated over 100 fake Afghan National Police (ANP) uniforms, in addition to recovering more than a dozen false personnel identification documents in Herat province. Over the past two days US and Afghan forces say that they have confiscated at least 100 fake Afghan National Police (ANP) uniforms, in addition to recovering more than a dozen false personnel identification documents in Herat province.
They says that over the last fortnight there have been "multiple reports" of Taleban fighters impersonating ANP officers and establishing illegal check points to kidnap and terrorise local Afghan civilians. They say that over the last fortnight there have been "multiple reports" of Taleban fighters impersonating ANP officers and establishing illegal check points to kidnap and terrorise local Afghan civilians.
"Taleban fighters are attempting to discredit the Afghan National Police force," said Maj Christopher Belcher of the US army."Taleban fighters are attempting to discredit the Afghan National Police force," said Maj Christopher Belcher of the US army.
'Cleaning up' 'Ambush positions'
In separate fighting, government forces say that they have retaken a major road seized by the Taleban north-east of Kabul. US special forces and Afghan soldiers say that the fighting in the Sangin district of Helmand lasted seven hours, and involved air strikes.
Officials say the road has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting close to the capital, Kabul, since the insurgents were ousted from power in 2001. They say that two coalition soldiers were wounded during the overnight clash, which took place in an area that coalition forces seized back from insurgent control a fortnight ago.
A defence ministry spokesman told the Reuters news agency that Afghan troops backed by coalition forces re-took the road in the Tagab district of Kapisa province, 70km (40 miles) from Kabul, late on Wednesday. Four rebel vehicles were destroyed in the battle, a coalition statement said.
The ministry says that there were no casualties among the Afghan troops during the operation near Bagram, the main US base in Afghanistan. "After manoeuvring to gain contact with the enemy force, US special forces requested coalition air support to engage the Taleban fighters as they were attempting to establish ambush positions.
"We have taken back the road and are planning now to launch a cleaning up operation," spokesman Zahir Azimi told Reuters. "Approximately 24 Taleban fighters were killed and four vehicles destroyed during the prolonged seven-hour battle."
In other fighting late on Wednesday, government forces say that they and coalition forces have retaken a strategically important road seized by the Taleban north-east of Kabul.