Eight US soldiers killed in Afghan bomb attacks

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Five Afghan border guards die in Taliban ambush

KABUL: Eight US troops were killed in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said, in one of the deadliest weeks for US troops ahead of a presidential run-off.

Several troops were also wounded in “multiple complex (bomb) attacks, just a day after 11 US troops died in separate helicopter crashes. US-led efforts to stabilise the country have been further complicated by weeks of political tension over a presidential election marred by widespread fraud in favour of incumbent Hamid Karzai, forcing a second round set for Nov 7. On Tuesday, Karzai’s camp said a run-off vote in the presidential election must take place even if his challenger Abdullah Abdullah quits the race.

Karzai agreed to a run-off under severe international pressure last week after a UN-led fraud investigation annulled a huge chunk of his votes in the original August 20 election and triggered a second round.

Fuelling talk that he might pull out from the race altogether, Abdullah set out a range of conditions this week ahead of the Nov. 7 second round that were immediately rejected by Karzai’s team.

Waheed Omar, Karzai’s chief campaign spokesman, told Reuters the election must take place even if Abdullah quits.

Karzai and Abdullah have so far publicly denied suggestions they could be in talks on a possible power-sharing deal and said that holding the second round was key to strengthening democracy.

Abdullah has given Karzai until Saturday to sack the country’s top election official and meet a range of other demands but would not say what he would do if his conditions were not met. He could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Ambush: Taliban rebels killed five border policemen when they ambushed their post in southern Afghanistan amid increasing violence in the build-up to a run-off election next month, officials said Tuesday.

Security sources also said nine Taliban fighters, including a commander, were shot dead in their stronghold of Kandahar during a raid by Afghan forces.

“Five border policemen were killed and one was wounded,” said General Abdul Raziq, the area commander, adding that four Taliban rebels were killed in ensuing clashes. In Kandahar, which neighbours Zabul, the provincial police chief said Afghan soldiers and police conducted a joint anti-Taliban operation late Monday.

“The forces conducted the operation in Arghandab district that resulted in the killing of nine armed opposition members, including a group commander,” General Sardar Mohammad Zazai said. agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg7_3