Afghanistan War News Updates -- October 3, 2010

U.S. Army Sgt. Diamond I. Salsedo and Sgt. Ricardo E. Maya shoot at the enemy during a firefight at the Shege East Afghan National Police Checkpoint in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2010. The soldiers are assigned to the 327th Infantry Regiment's Company D, 1st Battalion, Task Force Bulldog. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Gary A. Witte

Afghan Officials: NATO Airstrike Kills Taliban Insurgents, Civilians -- CNN

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A NATO airstrike targeting a Taliban meeting in Helmand province killed at least 17 people, including some Taliban commanders and three civilians, Afghan officials said Sunday.

The attack Saturday by the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) occurred in Nad Ali district of southwest Helmand province, according to two Afghan officials.

Esmatiullah Sadat, the district police chief for Nad Ali, said two senior Taliban commanders and five ordinary commanders died in the attack.

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More News On Afghanistan

17 Taliban, 3 citizens killed in Afghan air strike, police say -- L.A. Times
Child, top Taliban leader killed in separate Afghan attacks, NATO says -- Baltimore Sun
Roadside bomb kills 7 Afghan civilians -- Xinhuanet
Gurkha Killed On Patrol In Afghanistan -- SKY News
American soldier killed, 2 injured in N. Afghanistan -- Xinhuanet
2 NATO Service Members Killed in Afghanistan -- New York Times/AP
British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast brings death toll to 339 -- The Telegraph
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Oct 3 -- Reuters

Prime Minister Julia Gillard makes surprise visit to Afghanistan -- Adelaide Times
GI Julia Gillard surprises Afghan front line -- Daily Telegraph
Gillard to Meet European Leaders After Afghan Stop on First Foreign Trip -- Bloomberg

Afghan starts to close private security firms -- AP
Afghan starts to close private security firms -- Stars And Stripes/AP
Afghanistan begins disbanding private security firms -- Yahoo News/AP
Afghanistan 'disbands eight private security firms' -- BBC
Afghanistan bans foreign security firms -- AFP
Afghanistan Disbands Eight Private Security Firms -- Radio Free Europe

Karzai Prepares Afghan Forces for Foreign Withdrawal -- Voice of America
Photos Show US Soldiers Posing With Afghan Corpses -- ABC News
For Female Marines, Tea Comes With Bullets -- New York Times
In Bob Woodward's 'Obama's Wars,' Neil Sheehan sees parallels to Vietnam -- Neil Sheehan, Washington Post
Pentagon Seeks Permanent U.S. Presence in Afghanistan -- New American