AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES CLASHED WITH TALIBAN MILITANTS SATURDAY HIDING IN A CAVE COMPLEX IN THE SOUTHERN HELMAND PROVINCE, KILLING TWO FIGHTERS AND SEIZING WEAPONS, AN ARMY CHIEF SAID. ALSO, AN AFGHAN MOBILE PHONE COMPANY CONFIRMED SATURDAY THAT AN INDIAN CONTRACTOR WORKING FOR IT IS BEING HELD HOSTAGE AFTER BEING ABDUCTED BY THE TALIBAN IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN, BUT SAID IT HAD NO WORD ON HIS FATE. ABOUT 50 AFGHAN SOLDIERS AND POLICE ATTACKED A TALIBAN CAMP HIDDEN IN MOUNTAINS IN THE KAJAKI DISTRICT, ABOUT 100 KILOMETERS (60 MILES) NORTH OF THE HELMAND CAPITAL OF LASHKAR GAH, LOCAL AFGHAN ARMY COMMANDER GEN. RAHMATTALLUH ROUFI SAID. AFTER A ONE-HOUR BATTLE, AFGHAN FORCES VENTURED INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND FOUND CAVES THAT HAD BEEN USED BY TALIBAN MILITANTS. THE BODIES OF TWO KILLED MILITANTS WERE FOUND, ALONG WITH SEVERAL MACHINE GUNS, ROUFI SAID. THE REMAINING MILITANTS FLED DEEPER INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND AFGHAN FORCES CONTINUED HUNTING THEM, ROUFI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. THE INDIAN HOSTAGE WAS HELD UP AT GUNPOINT FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS HE DROVE ON THE KANDAHAR-KABULHIGHWAY IN THE HASSAN KARIEZ DISTRICT OF ZABUL, SAID ALI KHAIL, A PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN.
