Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 24 Enemy Fighters

May 24, 2006 - Coalition forces killed 24 enemy fighters in
Afghanistan yesterday, U.S. military officials said.

Afghan National Army and coalition forces battled terrorists for six
hours in the Tarin Kowt district of Uruzgan province yesterday evening,
military officials said.

One Afghan National Police officer and four Afghan soldiers were killed
battling the enemy fighters.

Additional Afghan soldiers and police were wounded and were taken to a
nearby medical treatment facility. No report was available on their
condition.

The engagement started when a joint combat patrol of Afghan and
coalition forces returned fire against several enemy fighters who were hiding
in a compound.

Afghan and coalition forces beat back the attack with heavy machine-gun
fire and forced the attackers to retreat. The enemy fighters then
attempted to reinforce with additional militants from two nearby compounds,
military officials said.

In other news from Afghanistan, three Afghan men and one woman were
killed May 22 when a makeshift bomb exploded in the Jalrez district of
Wardak province.

"Our sympathies go out to the families of the four civilians killed
Monday by an IED explosion," Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, a Combined
Joint Task Force 76 spokesman, said. "This is just another example of how
enemy extremists use these tools of terror without regard for the lives
of innocent Afghans in the ruthless pursuit of their oppressive
ideals."

In addition, in two separate May 22 incidents, coalition forces found
and disabled two makeshift bombs.