US Imperialism in Afghan Graveyard.

Irish Sun
Sunday 4th October, 2009

Eight U.S. soldiers, and 7 members of Afghan military forces, were killed Saturday when militants from a local village swamped two remote military outposts near the Pakistan border.

The attack, one of the deadliest of the eight-year war, brought the death toll of U.S. soldiers killed since Friday to thirteen.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack which involved some 300 militants equipped with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades storming the outposts. Gunfights lasted several hours and coalition troops fought to defend their posts. They were eventually overrun.

U.S. air strikes, artillery, and helicopter gunships provided cover for the posts and inflicted heavy casualties. Fifteen Afghan police who came to the aid of the coalition, including the local police chief and his deputy were captured by the militants. One police officer was among the seven Afghan forces killed.

The eight U.S. soldiers killed were all from Fort Carson's 4th Brigade Combat Team. They had been serving in Afghanistan for five months.

"This was a complex attack in a difficult area," U.S. Col. Randy George, the area commander, said in a statement. "Both the U.S. and Afghan soldiers fought bravely together."

Elsewhere, In three separate incidents, five U.S soldiers were killed Friday.

One U.S. service member was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated in eastern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force said in a statement released Sunday.

Two U.S. service members were killed in another improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan, the statement said.

In another incident two U.S. service members were killed in a hostile attack in eastern Afghanistan, the ISAF statement added.