[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Two NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Taliban ambushed troops, alliance spokesman says
Oct. 14, 2006. 01:30 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS


KABUL — NATO said two of its soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan today after militants ambushed the soldiers with rocket propelled grenades and gunfire.

Three soldiers were also wounded in the battle in Kandahar province this afternoon, NATO said in a statement. The nationalities of the soldiers were not released. However, the majority of troops in Kandahar are from Canada.

There was no immediate assessment of militant casualties, said Maj. Daryl Morrell, a spokesman for the NATO-led force.

Taliban militants have been stepping up attacks in the country's south in recent months, particularly in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

On Friday, in Kandahar city, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-packed van into a NATO military patrol on a busy commercial street, firing deadly shrapnel at nearby storeowners and shoppers. One NATO soldier and eight Afghan civilians were killed.

The blast also wounded another NATO soldier and eight civilians. A dozen shops were wrecked.

NATO says its clashes with insurgents have decreased somewhat in recent weeks. But militants are increasingly resorting to roadside and suicide attacks to weaken the government and hit Afghan and foreign troops.