An airstrike and a raid by ground troops killed eight insurgents, including a senior Taliban leader who spearheaded attacks against Afghan security forces, NATO said on Thursday as the war in Afghanistan entered its 10th year.
Maulawi Jawadullah, accused of organizing ambushes, roadside bomb attacks, and abductions of Afghan police and soldiers in northern Afghanistan was killed in the airstrike on Wednesday in Takhar province, an alliance statement said.
Jawadullah was linked to the recent deaths of 10 Afghan National Police officers during an attack on a police station in neighboring Kunduz province, the statement said.
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Seven other Taliban also died in the assault, including three who opened fire from a forest when coalition forces moved in following the airstrike, NATO said.
Thursday was the nine-year anniversary of the American invasion of Afghanistan, a frustrating benchmark for those who expected a quick exit after small targeted special forces toppled the Taliban from power in 2001. This week also marked another milestone, as the death toll for NATO forces surpassed the 2,000 mark. At least 2,003 NATO service members have died fighting in Afghanistan since Oct. 7, 2001, according to an Associated Press count.
“NATO is here and they say they are fighting terrorism, and this is the 10th year and there is no result yet,” Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an emotional speech last week. “Our sons cannot go to school because of bombs and suicide attacks.”
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As NATO touts success at routing the insurgency, there are signs it is losing the trust of the Afghan people.
In a report released Thursday, the Open Society Foundations, a think tank backed by liberal billionaire George Soros, said Afghans are increasingly angry and resentful about the international presence in Afghanistan, and do not believe figures showing insurgents are to blame for most attacks and civilian deaths.
The report was based on interviews in late 2009 and 2010 of more than 250 Afghans in seven provinces, along with discussions with community leaders in other parts of the country. It suggests that NATO’s message either is not getting out or is disregarded by Afghans, despite stepped-up press releases about their successes in protecting civilians and development projects over the past year.