Pat Dollard | Young Americans

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S.-led troops attacked a compound where Taliban leaders were meeting in western Afghanistan, killing 30 militants, American and Afghan officials said Friday. Another 11 militants reportedly died in a separate clash in the south.

The coalition was striking back against insurgents opposed to the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai who have stepped up attacks on foreign and Afghan troops.

In the bloodiest incident, the coalition said its troops called in airstrikes on the compound in the Shindand district of Herat province on Thursday.

Some 30 militants were killed and five others were detained, spokesman 1st Lt. Nathan Perry said. The troops found a haul of weapons and ammunition inside the compound, he said.

The operation was launched after an intelligence report that a Taliban commander, Mullah Siddiq, was inside the compound presiding over a meeting of militants, Azimi said.

Mullah Siddiq

Siddiq was one of those killed during the raid, Azimi said.

Separately, Afghan and French troops clashed Thursday with militants in Khas Uruzgan district of Uruzgan province, killing 11 militants, said provincial police Chief Juma Gul Himat.

Three Afghan troops were wounded in the fight, Himat said.

Authorities recovered the bodies of the dead militants, he said.

While most of Afghanistan’s violence affects the southern and eastern regions that border Pakistan, militants have also been active in western areas bordering Iran.

In another clash Thursday involving airstrikes, the U.S.-led coalition said its forces killed “multiple militants” in the northern Kapisa province.

The operation in Tagab district targeted a Taliban commander involved in weapons smuggling and suicide attacks against Afghan and foreign troops, the coalition said.

Tagab is close to where militants killed 10 French troops on Tuesday in the deadliest ground attack on foreign troops since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

(Agencies)

Background on Mullah Siddiq from Al Jazeera:

The Afghanistan government is hoping to persuade Taliban fighters to give up arms. It knows it will be difficult to convince the group’s highest leaders.

The focus, I am told, will be on mid-level commanders.

‘Pouring our blood’

One of those commanders is Mullah Siddique, whom I first encountered earlier this year when he was being treated in a hospital run by an Italian charity. He has been a Taliban fighter for eight years.

Mullah Siddiq, left, has been injured several times in battle

When you meet him, you quickly discover he is a man firmly committed to his faith and to the Taliban movement.

He says: “These infidels have disgraced our Quran and are still doing it.

“Everybody knows that they have trodden all over our Quran and they have put it inside the toilet. We can’t tolerate this.

“We will defend our Quran by any means. Whether by martyrdom, by being injured or by pouring our blood, we will do it.”

‘A dirty death’

Siddique showed me the injuries he has received in battle.

“I killed six British soldiers myself,” he says. “They died a dirty death. Their bodies remained on the battlefield. After that I got injured.”

“I’m not fighting for [Mullah] Dadullah, I’m fighting for my God and for my beliefs”

Mullah Siddique, Taliban fighter

“Since the Americans arrived, this is the eighth time that I have been injured. I was injured twice under the Taliban government.”

As soon as his wounds had healed, Siddique was back on the battlefield.

We filmed him again last week. So, what would be the reaction of someone like Siddiqque to Dadullah’s death?

When we spoke to him a few days ago, he said he would be increasing his efforts, stepping up the fight to kill those he calls invaders.

However, he said: “I’m not fighting for [Mullah] Dadullah. I’m fighting for my God and for my beliefs.

“The infidels have invaded my country and they kill our women, children, and we must protect our Islam against those infidels.

“My children are also Muslim and they will do jihad until they die.”