Taliban attack Afghan army post, killing 5
(CNN) -- Taliban guerillas attacked an Afghan army post Monday in southern Afghanistan, killing five soldiers, a spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
The rebels stormed the post in the Khashrud district of Nimroz province and escaped, said Omar Samad, the Afghan official. They fired assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, Reuters news agency reported.
"It's hard for the government soldiers to track the attackers," Samad said. "[The Taliban] are equipped with all sort of weaponry, having satellite telephones and changing their locations frequently."
The governor of Nimroz, Karim Barawi, confirmed the attack but reported fewer casualties.
"Maybe more than four have been killed, but I know of only four," he said.
In recent months, a new offensive has been under way against Taliban guerrillas in the south and east of Afghanistan, the region that borders Pakistan.
The United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 to oust the Taliban, which had provided haven for al Qaeda before the September 11 attacks. Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist network, is believed to be hiding along the rugged Afghan-Pakistan border.
About 8,500 Americans are among the 11,500 international troops in Afghanistan. Separately, 5,000 troops under NATO command act as peacekeepers in the capital, Kabul.
