The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan says more than 15 insurgents have
been killed during a search operation for hundreds of escaped prisoners
in southern Afghanistan.
U.S. military officials did not say
whether any of the insurgents killed were escaped prisoners. They said
five suspects were taken into custody during Saturday's operation.
Afghan
and NATO-led coalition forces launched a massive manhunt for the
prisoners, many of whom were militants, after they escaped Friday from
a jail in southern Afghanistan following a deadly raid by the Taliban.
Afghan
Deputy Justice Minister Mohammad Qasim Hashimzai told VOA (Pashto
Service) that 868 prisoners escaped and seven guards were killed in the
assault late Friday.
Afghan authorities say roughly one-third
of the prison population consisted of suspected Taliban members.
Officials are investigating to see if prison officials had a role in
the attack.
The jailbreak is being
described as a major security breach and has increased security
concerns for both the government and foreign troops.
The Taliban
raid came a day after international donors at a conference in Paris
pledged more than $20-billion for Afghanistan.
In other
violence Saturday, a roadside bomb in western Farah province killed
four U.S. soldiers who were helping train Afghan police forces.
Some information for this story provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.
