U.S. forces mounted a major operation in Afghanistan this week to hunt for suspected al Qaeda and Taliban militants crossing from Pakistan, but arrested just four men on a farm. The two-day operation “Dragon Fury,” involving some 500 troops, was the latest in a series of actions concentrating on the east and southeast of the country. “The reason why we came here was because we have some reports of al Qaeda and some other anti-coalition members and militants that have been operating through this area,” Lieutenant Michael Swift told reporters in the Shahi Kot district 16 miles south of the town of Gardez. “We know that they cross over from Pakistan, move through Khost, through this area and then on to the rest of Afghanistan, so we want to disrupt and stop this activity,” he added. There was no fighting during the sweep of rugged mountains and valleys where Taliban and al Qaeda guerrillas have continued to evade U.S. forces since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Full Story
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