Canadian military briefing on militant attack on coalition base

Описание: (29 Mar 2006)
1. Wide shot of news conference
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Col. Chris Vernon, chief of staff for coalition forces:
"Yesterday afternoon the ANA (Afghan National Army) re-supply convoy was attacked by Taliban returning to that forward operating base, and eight ANA soldiers were killed but the Taliban ambush was seen off."
3. Reporters
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Col. Chris Vernon, chief of staff for coalition forces:
"A significant Taliban attack during which a significant firefight ensued, during which a Canadian soldier was killed, an American soldier was killed and five coalition forces - and I haven't got the national breakdowns of that and we are not putting that out at the moment - were also wounded."
5. Mid shot of podium
STORYLINE:
Fierce fighting following an insurgent attack on a US-led coalition base in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday killed 32 suspected Taliban militants and two troops - one American and one Canadian, officials said.
The battle in Helmand province's Sangin district also wounded five coalition soldiers, British Col. Chris Vernon told reporters at a base in southern Kandahar city.
It is thought that three of the wounded were Canadian. A US military statement said an American soldier was also hurt.
The fighting was the deadliest in months and highlights the threat rebels still pose four years after the Taliban was ousted.
Direct attacks on foreign bases are unusual, and Wednesday's assault comes after the Taliban warned of a renewed offensive this year.
Coalition forces killed 12 militants in the initial attack on the base in Sangin, while another 20 insurgents were killed as they fled, a US military statement said.
Two buildings at a Taliban compound were later destroyed in the attack, which was supported by coalition warplanes.
It was not immediately clear if the violence was linked to the drug trade. Helmand is Afghanistan's main opium poppy-growing region and there have been fears of widespread violence since an aggressive poppy eradication campaign started in recent weeks.
Helmand's rugged mountains are also popular hiding places for Taliban rebels, many of whom are believed to slip back and forth across the province's largely unguarded border with Pakistan.

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