As expected, anti-terror efforts continue in the fledgling democracy of Afghanistan. Also as expect, those efforts go bloody but bloody well.
At least 31 suspected Taleban militants have been killed in clashes with government troops in south-east Afghanistan, officials say.
Defence Ministry spokesman Gen Mohammed Zaher Azimi said fighting erupted after insurgents attacked an Afghan army post near Angore Adda in Paktika province.
At least four government troops were injured in the battle near the Pakistan border, which lasted over four hours.
It was the heaviest reported fighting since elections two weeks ago.
Gen Azimi said 28 militants had been killed in fighting on Sunday night. Three others were killed in a separate clash in the province earlier in the day.
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The US military, which has a base in the area, said US troops had not been involved in the fighting.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in violence linked to militancy in Afghanistan this year.
Most of those killed have been suspected militants, but more than 80 US troops have also died, about 50 of them in hostile fire.
A number of civilians and election candidates and workers have also been killed.
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Afghanistan’s parliamentary and provincial elections on 18 September were hailed as a landmark in the process to bring democracy after years of war.
The counting of votes is still continuing.
The repeated inability of the Taliban and al Queda terrorists to disrupt national elections, coupled with their demonstrated ability to die in sizable numbers at the hands of both American and native forces, has to be held as good news for the Afghan theater.