As part of a larger push to secure polling sites ahead of Afghanistan's Aug. 20 elections, U.S. Marines stormed Dahaneh, a long-standing Taliban stronghold in southern Helmand Province. The Associated Press reporters traveling in the first wave reported that Marines encountered strong resistance from insurgents firing small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.
Two AP reporters embedded with coalition forces were also reported injured in a roadside bomb attack. The New York Times reports that a photographer, Emilio Morenatti, and a videographer, Andi Jatmiko, were traveling in a convoy with U.S. forces when their vehicle was hit.
In the northern province of Kunduz, Taliban stormed a district police headquarters, killing the local police chief and two other officers, and the attack led to a prolonged gunbattle. As we've noted here before, the north of Afghanistan has seen an upswing in violence in recent months, and once-quiet provinces like Bamiyan and Kunduz -- while nowhere near the levels of violence seen in the south — have seen their share of improvised bombs and ambushes.
Civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire: Nine civilians were reported killed in two separate roadside bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.
Amid the grim headlines, it's easy to forget that there's a pretty lively presidential campaign underway. NPR has a story today on a series of "rock the vote"-style concerts aimed at getting voters to the polls. And top rivals to President Hamid Karzai are also busy: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai met with a delegation of around 1,000 women today; Abdullah Abdullah held a rally today in Kandahar, Karzai's home turf. It may be a long race: The handicappers are now predicting that the incumbent may not win in the first round of elections.
[PHOTO: AP via Google News]
See Also:
- Danger Room in Afghanistan: An Election Rehearsal
- Afghanistan's Prez Candidates Wage Web 2.0 Campaigns
- No 'Net, No Phones, No Problem for Troops in Afghanistan
- Danger Room With Afghanistan's Broke, Ammo-Starved Cops
- More Innocents Caught in Afghanistan's Crossfire
- Danger Room in Afghanistan: Rebuilding Bamiyan
