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US-Italian operation ends in Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIRBASE (Afghanistan): American and Italian troops have concluded a four-day operation against Taliban remnants and Al Qaeda fighters in southeast Afghanistan, an American military spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.

The purpose of the July 2-6 operation was “to prevent the re-emergence of terrorism and deny anti-coalition fighters sanctuary”, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Lefforge told reporters at the Bagram Airbase, 50km (31 miles) north of Kabul.

Some 800 American soldiers backed by more than 500 Italian paratroops started the operation dubbed “Operation Haven Denial” last week in eastern Paktika and Khost provinces. He said the coalition forces dismantled one illegal border checkpoint and confiscated a small cache of weapons.

The operation, backed by 25 aircraft, was the biggest since the massive American-led Operation “Anaconda” offensive against Taliban and Al Qaeda holdouts in the mountains of the neighbouring Paktia province in March 2002.

“Our business is to continue to go there as a show of force to display that we are here ... and as a show of force I think it was successful,” Lt Col Lefforge said.

He said some 250 vehicles were inspected and 400 people interviewed, but no one was detained during the operation.

“We had some rocket attacks and anti-coalition activities around the border region of the Orgon and Shkin area, north of the Paktika province, and also in Khost area,” he added, without giving any dates. —AFP

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