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U.S. Soldier Wounded in Clash in Afghanistan
Thursday, January 24, 2002
(1:57 PM ET)
The Associated Press

"We know the Iranian government is sending in vehicles and weapons against Afghanistan," local governor, Gul Agha, accused at a pro-democracy rally attended by about 5,000 people. "We haven't sent any militias against them. We are waiting for the interim government of Prime Minister Karzai. I have been in contact with him. Whatever he says, I will do."

KABUL, Afghanistan -- AP
U.S. special forces attacked an enemy compound in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, capturing or killing a number of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, U.S. officials said. One American was wounded in the ankle.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, threats of clashes between rival warlords menaced the fragile peace, and a local governor accused Iran of sending vehicles and weapons into the country to undermine the new interim government of Hamid Karzai.

The firefight erupted when U.S. forces struck an al-Qaeda and Taliban "leadership facility" about 60 miles north of Kandahar, Pentagon officials said in Washington.

Enemy forces were killed and 27 people were captured, said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. An AC-130 gunship destroyed a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

"We initially thought it was al-Qaeda leadership, but once it was raided we found it was mainly Taliban leadership" in the compound, Myers said.

Myers and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld declined to say how many enemy fighters were killed or provide many details on the operation.

The soldier, who was not identified, was hit in the ankle by enemy fire Wednesday afternoon during the clash, said Navy Cmdr. Dan Keesee, a Central Command spokesman in Tampa, Fla. He was evacuated to a medical facility in the area and is in stable condition.
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