I heard the British SAS has already been involved in a firefight in Kabul today. Can anyone confirm? No casualties for the good guys.

I've heard nothing of it yet. But I am always the last to know.

It was reported to have occured friday.

Maybe they were discovered setting up laser guidance systems.

What is the source of this information?

_
FS

More info?

Found it:

[url]http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,2919473%255E701,00.html[/url]

24sep01
BRITISH SAS troops have fought a gun battle in Afghanistan with Taliban fighters, marking the first confrontation in the war against terrorism.

A four-man SAS reconnaissance and intelligence team, known as a brick, exchanged automatic gunfire with a group of Taliban fighters when they unexpectedly encountered each other in the foothills of Kabul.
The gunfight is believed to have taken place on Friday but it is understood the SAS infiltrated Afghanistan five days earlier, the first deployment in the increasing military build-up in the region.

The SAS team entered Afghanistan from Tajikistan. The men's immediate task was to set up a communications link with their UK headquarters and to make an assessment of conditions on the ground in areas known to be dominated by those protecting Osama bin Laden.

The SAS force in Afghanistan is understood to have already linked up with forces of Jamiat-I-Islam, the military wing of the Northern Alliance which provides the only tangible opposition in Afghanistan to the hardline Taliban. Flotillas of warships continue to head towards the region, while planes carrying troops and surveillance equipment have made secret night landings in Afghanistan's neighbouring countries.

The US Defence Department also has called up a further 5000 reservists, as B-52 bombers and other fighters were deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

But the Taliban yesterday claimed to have shot down an unmanned spy plane, and a helicopter belonging to Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, using Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons.

Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, said soldiers had shot down the plane taking pictures over Tashgurgan Pass in Samangan province, northwest of Kabul.

The Taliban has refused the United States's demand to hand over Osama bin Laden, who is suspected of orchestrating the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11. It has promised a holy war if it is attacked.

Reports also emerged that the British intelligence arm MI6 had pinpointed bin Laden's location, still in Afghanistan.

UK papers said the spy group traced bin Laden – leader of the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda – to a desolate region close to the town of Jalalabad on the country's north-east border with Pakistan.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said: "We know he is there, put it that way." When asked if bin Laden's exact whereabouts had been identified, he insisted: "We know where he is."

America is now firmly on a war footing with the military build-up intensifying following the arrival of the 82nd Airborne and 101st Air Assault Divisions at bases at Quetta and Peshawar in Pakistan, near the Afghan border.

Of the more than 200 warplanes flowing to the Gulf region, 75 are on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which sailed from Virginia towards the Mediterranean last week. It joins the carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Enterprise, now stationed in or near the Gulf with 75 warplanes each.

The three ships are accompanied by battle groups totalling more than 20 warships, including cruisers and submarines capable of firing accurate cruise missiles with ranges of up to 1600km.

The rebel Northern Alliance, which already may be receiving assistance from special forces, claimed to have killed 50 Taliban fighters at the weekend.

... Right on feel the pressure you "sons-a-biatchs". Go Brits!

Say your prayers Bin Laden!

Pathfinders, etc. Surprising they had an engagement, bet the Osama boys were REALLY surprised.  The first thing they see.  SAS.  Not  who I'd want to see snoopin' in my backyard.

The clothes are hung.

REPEAT: The Clothes are hung!

[;)]
Zaz

"who dares, wins" the SAS are hard core. have yall read about the stuff they did in africa a year ago? http://www3.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/11/london.sl/index.html

[url]http://www3.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/11/london.sl/index.html[/url]

Since when do countries start making their "Special Ops" missions public?

Most of the American public is in a hurry to pull the trigger and are looking for us to take action. It is in the interest of the current administration to leak info regarding combat operations lest the people become inpatient and the Presidents numbers start to fall. Not being cynical just pragmatic.

I smell disinfo. Propaganda. If they got into a firefight, then the SAS f'ed up. The SAS doesn't like screwing up, esp. in the media. Conducting their own personal war with the Taliban would also be utter folly and a waste of their training. They are not to be seen or detected, or even talked about, until well after the war is over.

It also seems fishy that the PIO would say that they know where Osama is unless he was unable to escape.

Isn't this a bad thing when the SAS recon stumbles on a group of Taliban?  

The SAS leaks info like a newborn baby leaks urine and drool. That is why the SBS (special boat service, linked witht he Royal Marines)
was created, to handle the most sensitive missions which the SAS could not be trusted with.

"General Papa", AKA "Bombblast". [whacko]

"This is a job for SUPERMAN."  I guess these African Leaders get their names from comic books.  They sure do inspire respect.

I can see a row coming, cause the Government has never before reported SAS missions. The press has ususally had to drag it from them when there have been cockups or when the mission was perceved by the Left as a abuse of power- the ambush of the IRA bombers in Gibralter being a case of the latter.