60 Dead After Boat Full of Taliban Militants Sinks in Southern Afghanistan

An estimated 60 people, including Taliban militants, died when their boat sank while crossing a river in Afghanistan's most dangerous province today, the Defence Ministry said. The Afghan army was investigating to see how many Taliban insurgents and how many civilians were on board, the ministry said. The boat sank while crossing the Helmand River, which snakes through Helmand province, the world's leading opium poppy region and site of fierce battles the last several months. Hundreds of Taliban insurgents are believed to be in Helmand.