03 August 2004	Tuesday	16 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

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KABUL, Aug 2: Taliban fighters raided a military post in southeastern Afghanistan along its border with Pakistan early on Monday, officials said.

Several people were killed in the gunfight in Gurbuz district of Khost province, 150 kilometres southeast of Kabul, but there were conflicting accounts as to whose side sustained casualties.

Afghan officials said their forces killed dozens of Taliban and lost none of their own. "Four Afghan soldiers were injured and dozens of Taliban were killed when early this morning Taliban attacked a military post south of Khost city," provincial military commander Khial Baz Khan told AFP by phone.

Interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal put the death toll of militants at "dozens" with only four Afghan soldiers wounded. "Only four soldiers were injured and tens of enemies were killed," Mr Mashal said.

The Taliban, however, disputed the government claim and said that they had killed five soldiers and lost none of their own. "The 140-man-strong Taliban group attacked the Zawara post and (during) the ... one-hour fighting, five soldiers were killed and two Taliban were slightly injured," said Mullah Abdul Samad, who claims to be the militia's spokesman. -AFP