SANGSAR (Afghanistan), July 14: Canadian troops drove Taliban into an Afghan army ambush on Saturday and then called in air strikes to hit the fleeing militants, killing at least 15, the Canadian army commander said.

The Canadian troops moved in under cover of darkness through grape, poppy and marijuana fields to a suspected Taliban compound in the village of Sangsar, near Kandahar.

“It was another disruptive operation to limit Taliban influence on an Afghan army checkpoint on Highway One,” said Maj Dave Quick, in charge of the operation, referring to the main road that loops around southern Afghanistan.

The Canadian troops opened fire at first light, with Afghan army units waiting in ambush for the group of around 60 Taliban along their predicted line of retreat.

“We had multiple contacts and there was air support that dropped about eight 500-pound bombs on Taliban positions,” he said. “We estimate that we got about 15 to 20 of them.”

Troops captured an anti-tank weapon capable of piercing their armoured vehicles. They also found assault rifles, grenades and armour-piercing shells in and around the compound.

A Taliban spokesman said 27 Afghan and Nato soldiers were killed in fighting in the same district.

The spokesman said local Taliban commander Mullah Razaq was also killed in the fighting.

“In the last 10 days the Taliban beheaded seven Afghan civilians,” on suspicion of spying, said an Afghan intelligence official. He said the killings had taken place across the country, but mostly around Kandahar, Ghazni and other areas of the south.

“The Taliban are putting pressure on civilians to gain support,” he told Reuters.

A Taliban spokesman said those executed had been captured with proof, such as laser equipment used for guiding air strikes, that showed they were working for foreign troops.

“We have captured many spies providing information about the Taliban to foreign troops. When we catch any spy, we behead him,” spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told Reuters by satellite telephone.—Reuters