American airstrikes killed at least a several hundred Taliban members during intense fighting over the past several days in Ghazni city, officials said Tuesday.
According to the coalition forces officials in Afghanistan, more than 220 militants were killed in the airstrikes conducted by the US forces during the Taliban attack on Ghazni city.
Resolute Support spokesman Army Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell in a statement has said “From a U.S. Forces-Afghanistan perspective, U.S. airpower has killed more than 220 Taliban since August 10.”
According to O’Donnell, the U.S. conducted an initial strike on Friday, and conducted five strikes on Saturday, 16 strikes on Sunday, and ten on Monday.
Mohammad Arif Shahjahan, an MP from Ghazni, told CNN Monday Taliban fighters had taken control of key buildings, including the police headquarters and some government offices in Ghazni.
CNN reported that Taliban militants stormed the strategically important city in an attempt to establish a base within easy access of the capital Kabul to the north, and roads to western and some southern provinces.
The US Armed Forces rendered serious support and U.S. Air Force fighters and Army helicopter gunships have attacked and killed more than 220 Taliban forces in Ghazni over the past several days after militants launched a massive attack on the Afghan city less than 100 miles from Kabul.
Military.com noted that AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Combat Aviation Brigade provided close-air support for Afghan forces on Friday, Sunday and Monday, he said, adding that Brig. Gen. Richard Johnson, deputy commander of the 101st and commander of Task Force South East, advised Afghan leaders in an operational command-and-control center.
