29 taliban terrorist scum killed

Twenty nine taliban were killed in a fierce battle to capture a taliban leader. The leader was not captured but it's unknown whether he was killed in the battle. New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — American and Afghan forces backed by airstrikes engaged in a “fierce firefight” with Taliban insurgents in a remote and mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing at least 29 militants in an effort to capture one of their leaders, according to a joint military statement.

But, American officials said, the leader — identified only as Sangeen — had not been captured and it was not known whether he was among the dead or had escaped. The battle was part of a widening war that the Obama administration has made a priority in its effort to crush Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[...]

As depicted in the statement, coalition forces advanced under a hail of fire from militants on higher ground. There was no immediate comment from the Taliban and the number of insurgent fatalities could not be independently verified.

“Dozens of well-armed militants immediately began firing on the combined force to repel the assault,” the statement said. “Afghan and coalition forces returned fire, engaging multiple enemies situated both in heavily fortified positions and inside structures on the compound.”