Senior Taliban Leader Killed

European and Pacific Stars & Stripes Raz Mohammed, a senior leader of the Taliban, has been killed along with some other anti-democracy forces in a firefight with U.S. forces, who suffered no casualties.

Army says Afghan insurgent leader was killed in firefight

A “high-level” commander of the insurgency in Afghanistan was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces along the rugged border with Pakistan, according to an Army announcement. Officials said Raz Mohammed, “implicated in many of the attacks against coalition forces in Paktika Province,” was killed alongside two other enemy fighters March 22 when Afghan and U.S. forces clashed with militants during a raid to capture Mohammed.

Mullah Hakim Latifi, a purported Taliban spokesman, in a satellite telephone conversation with The Associated Press from an undisclosed location said the clash occurred when U.S. troops surrounded the tents where Mohammed was living in Waza Khwa, an impoverished district on the Pakistani border. He confirmed the death of Mohammed, who he said was a senior military commander in eastern Laghman province before the Taliban̢۪s ouster in 2001. He said Mohammed̢۪s wife and six of his children also were killed. Latifi claimed that eight American soldiers died in the battle, but the American military said coalition forces suffered no casualties.

Raz Mohammed served as governor in neighboring Paktia Province under Hamid Karzai̢۪s interim government in 2002 and 2003 following the U.S.-led invasion.

Yes, there’s still fighting going on in Afghanistan.

via Rusty Shackleford

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