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Taliban commander in Kandahar dead: NATO
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Taliban+commander+Kandahar+dead+NATO/3112151/story.html
KABUL - NATO said Friday that troops had killed the Taliban's top commander for Kandahar city during a gunbattle with insurgents armed with machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
NATO identified him as Mullah Zergay, called him "the top Taliban commander for the Kandahar city area" and accused him of being responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar, as well as directing attacks in nearby districts.
He was killed in Kandahar's Zhari district last week, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.
"Zergay directed insurgent activities in the Arghandab and Zharay districts, including Kandahar City. He used explosives in nearly all of his operations and was directly responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar city alone," it said.
He also led kidnappings and killings of government employees and village elders, the military said.
The statement said the rebel was killed during a firefight with troops who tried to capture him in his Zhari hideout. The troops tracked the rebel for "several weeks" before he was killed, it added.
The Taliban are trying to topple the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. A three-day peace conference by tribal elders and religious leaders ended Friday by calling on the militants to lay down their arms.
The conference, called to advise Karzai on how to make peace with the Taliban, demanded the establishment of "powerful commission" to lead the talks with the militants.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Taliban+commander+Kandahar+dead+NATO/3112151/story.html
KABUL - NATO said Friday that troops had killed the Taliban's top commander for Kandahar city during a gunbattle with insurgents armed with machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
NATO identified him as Mullah Zergay, called him "the top Taliban commander for the Kandahar city area" and accused him of being responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar, as well as directing attacks in nearby districts.
He was killed in Kandahar's Zhari district last week, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.
"Zergay directed insurgent activities in the Arghandab and Zharay districts, including Kandahar City. He used explosives in nearly all of his operations and was directly responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar city alone," it said.
He also led kidnappings and killings of government employees and village elders, the military said.
The statement said the rebel was killed during a firefight with troops who tried to capture him in his Zhari hideout. The troops tracked the rebel for "several weeks" before he was killed, it added.
The Taliban are trying to topple the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. A three-day peace conference by tribal elders and religious leaders ended Friday by calling on the militants to lay down their arms.
The conference, called to advise Karzai on how to make peace with the Taliban, demanded the establishment of "powerful commission" to lead the talks with the militants.
