KANDAHAR, April 3: Pro-government militia forces killed 20 suspected Taliban in a new offensive in southern Afghanistan Thursday while US warplanes pounded extremists holed up nearby, an official and the US military said.

“Following the interrogation of suspects captured in the operation north of Kandahar we could identify a new base in the Haba mountains,” said Gul Agha, governor of the southern province of Kandahar.

“We launched a raid on this base, 20 Taliban were killed and three of our soldiers were killed in the fighting.”

Last week Agha launched operations against suspected Taliban north of Kandahar city following the murder of Red Cross worker Ricardo Munguia.

Meanwhile, US warplanes bombed a group of 40 suspected Taliban fighting Agha’s forces in the adjacent Torghar mountains, a military spokesman told reporters at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul.

“A single US Special Forces ‘A’ detachment... was observing an Afghan militia force (AMF) operation in the vicinity of Torghar mountains at approximately 1.30pm yesterday when Special Forces and the AMF received fire from the approximately 40 anti-coalition militia that we have reason to believe are associated with the Taliban,” US Colonel Roger King said.

The dozen Special Forces troops and around 250 soldiers loyal to governor Agha Thursday cleared the suspected Taliban dug in at the mountains north of the town of Spin Boldak on the border with Pakistan.

“The Special Forces called for close air support and throughout the night multiple aircraft platforms provided this close air support to the Special Forces and AMF in the mountains,” King said.

Thunderbolt II aircraft, AC-130 gunships, AV-8 Harriers, Apache helicopters and B-1 bombers directed a total of 35,000 pounds (15.9 tonnes) of ordnance at the suspected Taliban, King said.

“AMF forces, accompanied by a US Special Forces detachment, cleared the area of Torghar today. On the mountain they found evidence of enemy forces, including several blood trails, improved fighting positions, and previously occupied caves,” spokeswoman US Captain Alayne Cramer said in a statement late Thursday.

“One enemy KIA (killed in action) was found and 11 persons were taken under control by the Afghan forces,” she said.

“They also found two PKM machine-guns with a large amount of ammunition, improvised explosive devices and bomb-making materials.”

Meanwhile, Chapman Air Field in Khost, eastern Afghanistan, came under attack from three suspected rockets Wednesday night. There were no injuries or damage, he said. —AFP

Our Staff Correspondent adds from Quetta: Spin Boldak and Pakistani border town Chaman were rocked by the US bombing in Torghar and Sheen Nari areas.

According to reports, seven Afghan soldiers were also killed when they came under heavy bombing while taking part in an operation launched against the Taliban remnants.

“Yes, some Afghan army personnel were killed in the US bombing in Torghar,” an Afghan official confirmed to local newsmen on phone from Spin Boldak.

He said at least five Taliban soldiers were also killed in the clash.

Sources claimed that the Afghan forces arrested six Taliban soldiers and seized their weapons, while Taliban took away their four injured men while on the run.