KANDAHAR, 23 June 2006 — Coalition and Afghan forces killed seven militants and captured 10 more yesterday after the rebels ambushed a patrol in southern Afghanistan, an army commander said.

The fighting in southern Uruzgan province erupted after dozens of militants believed to be from the Taleban movement attacked the military with rockets and machineguns, said Gen. Rahmatullah Raufi, military commander for southern Afghanistan.

The Afghan unit, along with dozens of soldiers from the US-led coalition, were on a security patrol when they were attacked, he said.

Violence in southern Afghanistan has picked up in recent months, leaving hundreds dead, most them militants from the Taleban which has been waging an insurgency since being ousted from power in late 2001.

Thousands of Afghan and coalition troops are conducting a major operation dubbed Mountain Thrust to root out militants in the south, including Uruzgan.

Four US Soldiers Killed

Four US soldiers have been killed and one wounded in clashes with Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan, the US military said yesterday.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan this year, the worst violence since the 2001 overthrow of the Taleban. The violence has surged as NATO prepares to takes over security duties from US-led forces in the south, the rebel heartland.

The latest clash occurred in the eastern province of Nuristan on Wednesday.

“Coalition forces attacked enemy extremists in a remote area of the Kamdesh District while conducting security operations to interdict enemy movement through northern Nuristan,” the US military said.

“During the mission, four US soldiers were killed.” Coalition aircraft joined the attack but it was not clear how many rebels were killed, the US military said. The wounded soldier was in stable condition. A Taleban spokesman, Mohammad Hanif, said by telephone that two Taleban had been killed in the fighting.