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US suffers heavy Afghan losses | US suffers heavy Afghan losses |
(10 minutes later) | |
Nine US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in clashes with Taleban militants. | |
US commander Daniel Dwyer told the BBC the soldiers had been killed in clashes in the north-east of the country. | US commander Daniel Dwyer told the BBC the soldiers had been killed in clashes in the north-east of the country. |
The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says it is one of the biggest single losses in a day for the coalition since the start of military operations there. | The BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul says it is one of the biggest single losses in a day for the coalition since the start of military operations there. |
The attack came as international and Afghan security forces battled militants on several fronts. | The attack came as international and Afghan security forces battled militants on several fronts. |
On Sunday, US forces said 40 insurgents had been killed in Helmand province in the past 24 hours. | On Sunday, US forces said 40 insurgents had been killed in Helmand province in the past 24 hours. |
Insurgents 'hiding' | Insurgents 'hiding' |
There are conflicting reports as to where the latest attack took place. | There are conflicting reports as to where the latest attack took place. |
A foreign military spokesman said US soldiers and members of the Afghan National Army came under attack at a remote base in Kunar province, near the border with Pakistan. | |
But Afghan officials insist the fighting took place in neighbouring Nuristan province. | But Afghan officials insist the fighting took place in neighbouring Nuristan province. |
In a statement earlier, Nato reported that a small American Combat Outpost in Dara-I-Pech district of Kunar province, came under heavy fire at around 0430 local time (0900 GMT). | In a statement earlier, Nato reported that a small American Combat Outpost in Dara-I-Pech district of Kunar province, came under heavy fire at around 0430 local time (0900 GMT). |
It said insurgents had fired "with small arms, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars using homes, shops and the mosque in the village of Wanat for cover." | It said insurgents had fired "with small arms, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars using homes, shops and the mosque in the village of Wanat for cover." |
Combined International Security Assistance Forces (Isaf) and Afghan National Army forces responded with small arms, machine guns, mortars and artillery, it said. | |
Fighter jets and Apache helicopters were also brought in. | |
Reports say that dozens of Taleban militants were also killed in the attack. There has been no confirmation of this. | |
Our correspondent says Afghanistan's north-eastern border with Pakistan is a well-known trouble spot, and that there are frequent Taleban attacks on international and National Afghan forces. | Our correspondent says Afghanistan's north-eastern border with Pakistan is a well-known trouble spot, and that there are frequent Taleban attacks on international and National Afghan forces. |
The fighting is close to where US forces were accused of killing 47 civilians in an air strike in Nangarhar Province a week ago. | |
Reports at the time said that 20 wedding party guests were killed in the air strike in Nangarhar province. The US military said they were militants. | |
In a separate incident on Sunday, a suicide bomber killed at least 21 people, many of them children, in a market in the Deh Rawud district of Uruzgan province. | In a separate incident on Sunday, a suicide bomber killed at least 21 people, many of them children, in a market in the Deh Rawud district of Uruzgan province. |
No group has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. |