U.S. Marines Battle Taliban
Associated Press
December 27, 2004

KABUL, Afghanistan - Suspected Taliban forces set off explosions as American military convoys rumbled down two roads in southern and eastern Afghanistan, injuring one Marine and damaging a vehicle, officials said Monday.

The first attack occurred Friday in eastern Kunar province, said Maj. Mark McCann, an army spokesman. Some 40 rebels set off a roadside bomb, then opened fire on the convoy, injuring the Marine. His name was not disclosed, but McCann said his injuries were not life-threatening.

"The Marines responded - obviously they defended themselves - and launched a quick reaction force to bring them more ammunition," McCann said.

On Sunday, rebels set off a bomb on a road in southern Kandahar province, damaging a Humvee but causing no casualties.

Fighting between Taliban rebels and Afghan forces left at least four people dead last week, while 17 rebels were captured.

The Taliban was unable to carry through on its threat to disrupt October elections or the inauguration earlier this month of Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president, leading to speculation that the group is in decline.

But the rebels have kept up a steady drumbeat of attacks since it was ousted in 2001, but the level of fighting has dropped in recent weeks, partly due to the onset of winter.

McCann said more and more Afghans are coming forward to inform on the rebels, leading to the confiscation last week of several big weapons caches and the arrests of three men planning attacks in eastern Nangarhar province.