US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
The US military in Afghanistan says two of its soldiers have been killed in an explosion in eastern Paktika province.
Four others were hurt in the blast, which a spokesman said was caused by a possible improvised explosive device.
The local governor said a suicide bomber had attacked a military base in Zirok district, killing the men.
Afghan officials say an ensuing US attack killed many rebels. The incident comes as thousands of US and UK troops are on the offensive in the south.
The US military operation in Helmand province is the biggest since the American-led invasion of 2001 and comes ahead of presidential elections scheduled for August.
British forces in Helmand say they have encountered little resistance from the Taliban. Troops are moving into a large swathe of territory in Helmand province that had been a stronghold for insurgents.
‘Random fire’
US military spokesman Sergeant Charles Marsh said the explosion occurred on Saturday morning.
"Then the base came under random fire by insurgents. We do have two US service members killed and four wounded," he said.
He confirmed that air support had been called in.
Paktika governor Abdul Qayum Katawazi told the BBC that the base had been attacked by a suicide bomber and that an Afghan soldier had also been injured.
"There was an attack afterwards on the base and as a result 30 Taliban were killed. We have no civilian casualties because there are no civilians in the area."
There was no independent confirmation.
Paktika, which borders Pakistan’s Waziristan region, is among Afghan provinces worst hit by the insurgency.
The BBC’s Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says local intelligence reports suggest hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters have crossed the border in recent weeks to fight Afghan and foreign forces.
The latest violence in Paktika follows the capture by militants of an American soldier and three Afghans in the province on Tuesday. </p
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