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July, August deadliest months of Afghan war for US
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-28 11:05

Meanwhile, US and Afghan forces battled Taliban militants at a medical center in eastern Afghanistan after a Taliban commander sought treatment there, and a US helicopter gunship fired on the clinic after militants put up resistance.

Reports of the militant death toll from Wednesday's firefight varied widely. The spokesman of the governor of Paktika province said 12 militants died, while police said two were killed. It wasn't clear why the tolls differed.

The fighting began after a wounded Taliban commander sought treatment at a clinic in the Sar Hawza district of Paktika. Afghan forces went to the center and got in a firefight with militants. US forces later provided backup.

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Hamidullah Zhwak, the governor's spokesman, said the Taliban commander was wounded Aug. 20. Militants brought him and three other wounded Taliban to the clinic Wednesday. Afghan forces were tipped off to their presence and soon arrived at the scene, he said.

Insurgent snipers fired from a tower near the clinic, and troops called in an airstrike from US forces, Zhwak said. Fighting between some 20 militants and Afghan and US forces lasted about five hours, and 12 Taliban were killed, he said.

"After ensuring the clinic was cleared of civilians, an AH-64 Apache helicopter fired rounds at the building ending the direct threat and injuring the targeted insurgent in the building," a US military statement said.

A US military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, said the clinic's doctor gave US troops permission to fire on the clinic. After the battle, Afghan and US forces met with villagers and discussed rebuilding the clinic, a US summary of the meeting said.

Villagers expressed "disgust" that militants used the medical center to fire from and that they understood that the action by Afghan and coalition forces was necessary, the summary said.

Seven insurgents - including the wounded commander - had been detained, the US statement said.

Gen. Dawlat Khan, the provincial police chief, said two militants died in the encounter.

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