4 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghan battle

[tuvor]

Four Canadian soldiers have been killed and several others injured in a major NATO offensive that also left 200 Taliban militants dead in southern Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. David Fraser says.

"Let's just have our hopes and prayers with people who are grieving tonight," the Canadian Forces general said at a news conference in Kandahar on Sunday.

Fraser also said 200 Taliban militants had been killed and 80 others captured in two days of an air and ground offensive by NATO and Afghan forces in southern Kandahar province, which started on Saturday.

Most of the combat units from Canada's 2,200 soldiers in Afghanistan have been fighting alongside Afghan troops as part of NATO's Operation Medusa, which aims to drive Taliban militants from their strongholds in the Zhari and Panjwaii districts near the city of Kandahar.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/09/03/afghanistan-taliban.html

[Spazito]

1. The 200 dead is probably true, however, that they were Taliban is

very suspect given ANYTHING and ANYONE moving in the area were deemed legitimate "shoot to kill" targets whether it was an innocent Afghan on a bicycle or a family in a vehicle.

[daleo]

2. I am not even sure about the numbers

As I recall, the Taliban is "famous" for recovering their dead before the other side gets there. Makes you wonder.

In general, when you hear reports of body counts it means that a war is not going well.