Special Forces fight key battles

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press Writer

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - They are the secret warriors in America's hidden war: CIA and Special Operations forces who ride into battle on pickup trucks, dune buggies and helicopters.

As the U.S.-led campaign evolves from a seen-on-TV bombing campaign to a cave-by-cave hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban holdouts, covert U.S. agents and troops are increasingly fighting the key battles.

But the Pentagon keeps details of this war secret. Only rarely - as with a Special Forces raid on Taliban forces this week - is some light shed on their operations. Even conventional U.S. forces also on the ground in Afghanistan are kept in the dark.

Covert U.S. forces, including the Army Green Berets or Special Forces, are known as Special Operations forces and drawn from all three armed services. They are spearheading operations against what Afghan leaders say are hundreds of fugitive Taliban and al-Qaida.

Army Special Forces led one of the largest such operations on Wednesday, flying by helicopter to raid what the Pentagon says appeared to be Taliban military compounds in the north. The Pentagon reported about 15 enemy fighters killed and 27 captured. One American soldier was wounded.