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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Taleban capture Afghan district | Taleban capture Afghan district |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Taleban rebels have captured a district in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar after days of fierce fighting. | Taleban rebels have captured a district in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar after days of fierce fighting. |
| Afghan forces say they pulled out of Myanishen district as a tactical move. | Afghan forces say they pulled out of Myanishen district as a tactical move. |
| Correspondents say the militants have taken a number of districts over the past couple of years but have managed to keep control of only one. | Correspondents say the militants have taken a number of districts over the past couple of years but have managed to keep control of only one. |
| Meanwhile, dozens are reported killed or injured in fighting in nearby Uruzgan province. One official says 60 civilians died, but Nato disputes this. | Meanwhile, dozens are reported killed or injured in fighting in nearby Uruzgan province. One official says 60 civilians died, but Nato disputes this. |
| There is no place in the Uruzgan hospital for injured ones and it is very difficult to transfer them Mawli Hamdullah, Uruzgan provincial council head | There is no place in the Uruzgan hospital for injured ones and it is very difficult to transfer them Mawli Hamdullah, Uruzgan provincial council head |
| Separately, a man has been injured while trying to place an explosive device outside the main US military base in the country. | Separately, a man has been injured while trying to place an explosive device outside the main US military base in the country. |
| The US-led military coalition and the Interior Ministry say the device exploded prematurely outside the Bagram base. They say the man is now in Afghan police custody. | The US-led military coalition and the Interior Ministry say the device exploded prematurely outside the Bagram base. They say the man is now in Afghan police custody. |
| Airlift plea | Airlift plea |
| Kandahar's police chief, General Esmatullah Alizai, admitted to the BBC that the Taleban were now in control of Myanishen. | Kandahar's police chief, General Esmatullah Alizai, admitted to the BBC that the Taleban were now in control of Myanishen. |
| He said the police had made a tactical move in withdrawing from the area but would recapture it very soon. | He said the police had made a tactical move in withdrawing from the area but would recapture it very soon. |
| A Taleban spokesman said they had taken control of Myanishen after four days of fighting. | A Taleban spokesman said they had taken control of Myanishen after four days of fighting. |
| In the adjacent district of Chora in Uruzgan province fierce fighting between the Taleban and foreign and Afghan forces is reported to have continued for at least three days. | In the adjacent district of Chora in Uruzgan province fierce fighting between the Taleban and foreign and Afghan forces is reported to have continued for at least three days. |
| There are reported to be more than 100 wounded in the main provincial hospital. | There are reported to be more than 100 wounded in the main provincial hospital. |
| Reports say staff there are unable to treat all the wounded people arriving, but still more of the injured are said to be at the scene of the fighting. | Reports say staff there are unable to treat all the wounded people arriving, but still more of the injured are said to be at the scene of the fighting. |
| The head of the provincial council, Mawli Hamdullah, has called on President Karzai to send helicopters to airlift the injured to hospitals in Kabul. | The head of the provincial council, Mawli Hamdullah, has called on President Karzai to send helicopters to airlift the injured to hospitals in Kabul. |
| He says he believes some 60 civilians have died in the clashes, as well as 30 Taleban, including a key commander, and 17 Afghan soldiers. | He says he believes some 60 civilians have died in the clashes, as well as 30 Taleban, including a key commander, and 17 Afghan soldiers. |
| Uruzgan is the home province of Taleban leader Mullah Omar | Uruzgan is the home province of Taleban leader Mullah Omar |
| But the Nato-led force, Isaf, says it has no confirmation of any civilian deaths, saying rather that some 60 rebels have been killed, as well as a Dutch soldier. | But the Nato-led force, Isaf, says it has no confirmation of any civilian deaths, saying rather that some 60 rebels have been killed, as well as a Dutch soldier. |
| Uruzgan's police chief gave much lower figures for civilian and army deaths but estimated the number of Taleban killed at 65. | Uruzgan's police chief gave much lower figures for civilian and army deaths but estimated the number of Taleban killed at 65. |
| He alleged that some ordinary people were killed by what he called American bombing. | He alleged that some ordinary people were killed by what he called American bombing. |
| Last year Chora district fell into Taleban hands for a few days before being retaken by government forces in a battle. | Last year Chora district fell into Taleban hands for a few days before being retaken by government forces in a battle. |
| Plea for civilians | |
| The latest violence came as aid organisations said that international and Afghan government forces had been responsible for the deaths of at least 230 civilians since the start of 2007. | |
| "Excessive and disproportionate use of force is not only illegal and wrong but is also counter-productive," the Agency Co-ordinating Body for Afghan Relief (Acbar) warned. | |
| Acbar, which brings together nearly 100 Afghan and international aid organisations, said such attacks created hostility towards international forces and made relief work more difficult. | |
| Scores of civilians have also been killed by the Taleban and their allies this year. | |
| The Acbar statement condemned such attacks by the armed opposition as "wanton acts of violence... which can never be justified". |