U.S. special forces in Afghanistan kill one attacker

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) _ U.S. special forces shot and killed a gunman who fired on them near the central Afghan town of Deh Rawod, a U.S. military spokesman said Friday. <br><br>The forces were helping

Friday, November 8th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) _ U.S. special forces shot and killed a gunman who fired on them near the central Afghan town of Deh Rawod, a U.S. military spokesman said Friday.

The forces were helping an Afghan policeman who had been fired on Thursday in the province of Uruzgan when two attackers in civilian clothing opened fire on the U.S. forces with AK-47 machine guns, Col. Roger King said. The soldiers returned fire, killing one man. The other escaped.

King said the dead man's identity was not yet known.

Separately, eight people fired on U.S. special forces some 2 miles north of Khost, in eastern Afghanistan. AH-64 attack helicopters fired rockets and 30 mm rounds, before the eight fled over a nearby ridge.

There were no U.S. casualties in either incident.

Paratroopers swept through four areas in northeast of Khost Thursday and Friday morning, seizing weapons including 28 mines, 76 hand grenades, 147 rocket-launched grenades, 62 launchers, more than 500 round of 5.62 mm rounds, 12 1.07 mm rockets.

Five men were taken to Khost for questioning, King said.

Also Friday, U.S. attack helicopters were circling the skies above Khost after unidentified attackers fired four rockets toward the U.S. base, an Afghan government official in Khost said on condition of anonymity.

It was unclear how close the rockets came to Khost airfield and there were no reports of casualties.

King could not confirm the report.

U.S. bases in eastern Afghanistan are attacked several times a week, usually with crude rockets set off by remote control or timers. They rarely hit their targets and damage is minimal.