Hundreds of Taliban fighters have regrouped in southern Afghanistan, threatening villagers and undermining government efforts to establish stability before June presidential elections, Afghan officials said Thursday. Zabul province is only about 60 miles from the Taliban’s former power base in the southern city of Kandahar. Many Taliban fled to the remote mountainous region bordering Pakistan after the U.S.-led offensive against them more than two years ago. However, a U.S. military spokesman gave no credence to the reports. “If there were hundreds of fighters there, we would kill them,” Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said in Kabul. In recent months, officials in Zabul have appealed for help after a string of bomb blasts, attacks and kidnappings by the militants. Full Story
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