A Taliban spokesman called Hakimi said guerillas destroyed a US military vehicle Aug. 9 in Ghazni Province. "The Americans suffered loss of life in the attack," Hakimi said. US military sources acknowledged that a vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device in Ghani, injuring two servicemen. Meanwhile in northern Faryab Province, leaflets have been distributed warning female candidates against running in the September parliamentary elections, the Mazar-i-Sharif daily Sahar reported. The leaflets reportedly bear the signature of Mullah Hasim, who claims to represent the Taliban in the region. Faryab's security commander, Habib al-Rahman Zazy, downplayed the significance of the leaflets, but confirmed that Mullah Hasim is in Faryab. (RFE/RL Newsline, Aug. 10)

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