April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

KABUL, April 12: Afghan security forces supported by foreign military aircraft killed 24 Taliban militants in clashes in the southern province of Zabul, authorities said on Saturday.

The operation in Zabul was designed to secure a key highway to the capital Kabul, Zabul deputy governor Gulab Shah Alikhail said.

“We had an operation against Taliban last night. During the operation, in which foreign military’s air force was used, 24 Taliban were killed and eight others were injured,” he added.

He said the clashes began on Friday night and continued into Saturday. Zabul, which borders Pakistan, sees regular Taliban attacks.

Meanwhile, two Indian engineers and an Afghan policeman died in a Taliban suicide attack in the southwestern province of Nimroz, authorities said.

Two bombers simultaneously struck a convoy carrying Indian and Afghan road construction workers. Officials said a third suspected attacker was captured with an explosive-filled jacket after the blasts, in which he was injured.

“There was a suicide attack carried out by two suicide bombers against Indian road workers who were working on a bridge” in the province’s Khash Rod district, provincial governor Ghulam Dastgir Azad said.

“Two Indian engineers and an (Afghan) driver were killed. Three Indians and an Afghan policeman were injured,” he said.

Yousuf Ahmadi, reported to be a spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility but gave a different version of the attack.

He said two mines planted by the militants were detonated, after which a bomber blew himself up. “It was carried out by our Mujahideen,” he said.

“First they detonated two mines that we had buried in the area. After police and the Indians gathered there, one of our devoted members carried out a suicide bombing.” Saturday’s bombing was the second targeting Indian workers this year.

An Indian engineer was killed in a similar attack in the same area in January, in which six Afghan policemen also died.—AFP