Gunfight erupts as US transports Afghan prisoners
A gunbattle broke out at the US military’s base near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan last night as the Americans began flying the first of hundreds of suspected Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners to a US army base in Cuba.
Shortly after an aircraft carrying 20 prisoners left the runway, the base came under attack from small arms fire.
A US spokesman said nobody was injured in the ensuing gunfight, which lasted for about half an hour.
The 20 prisoners were being taken to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where they are expected to face secret military trials and possible execution.
