78 Taliban Killed in the Failed Attack on US Base in the Afghanistan

The U.S. military says that 78 Taliban fighters died in a failed attack on a U.S. base in the Paktika province of the Afghanistan on Saturday. Afghan and coalition forces are searching four areas around the Margah Combat Outpost in the Bermel region of the province, where there was direct fire and helicopter attacks as insurgents tried unsuccessfully to surround and overrun the base.

The military has confirmed the deaths of 38 insurgents; another estimated 40 deaths have yet to be confirmed. Two insurgents were taken captive and are being questioned. Five coalition troops were been injured, but all continued to fight.

The fact the insurgents left both their dead and the wounded laying there on the battlefield is significant,” said U.S. Army Major General John F. Campbell, commanding general for NATO’s Regional Command-East. We had multiple indicators an attack like this was going to happen in that area in an attempt to gain the victory before the end of the fighting season, and our combined Afghan and coalition forces were ready for them.

U.S. Army Brigadier General Stephen Townsend, deputy commanding general for the operations said, Not only did the Soldiers and Afghan Border Policemen warn of the attack, they also disrupted it for approximately 20 minutes allowing the main defense to decisively respond. Once their mission was been complete, they repositioned to reinforce the main defense.