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'Taleban drowned' in Afghan river Afghan ambush kills Nato members
(1 day later)
A boat has sunk in a river in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province, killing 60 people including some Taleban fighters, officials say. Suspected militants have ambushed a Nato convoy in Afghanistan, killing two of its number, the alliance has said.
The Taleban were seen boarding the boat after fleeing Afghan troops, a defence official told AFP news agency. A soldier and a translator were killed when the convoy was attacked with small arms and rocket propelled grenades.
Afghan officials are trying to find out exactly how many Taleban fighters were among the 60 people drowned. It is not known why the boat sank. Nato did not say exactly where Saturday's attack took place, or give the nationalities of those killed.
Helmand has seen fierce battles between the Taleban and Nato and US-led troops. Meanwhile, there was confusion over Afghan claims that a boat sunk on a river in Helmand province, drowning 60 people including some Taleban fighters.
The province is a major centre of poppy cultivation. The defence ministry said fighters were fleeing Afghan forces when they boarded a boat to cross the river, but that it sank and its occupants died.
"We observed from the air that Taleban got on board the boat," Defence Ministry spokesman Gen Mohammad Zahir told AFP. "It sunk as it was crossing the river." "According to reports we received, all of them on board were Taleban and were killed," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said on Sunday.
Other reports, however, suggested that those aboard the boat made it safely across the river and away.