NATO-led troops aided by military aircraft killed 15 suspected insurgents in eastern Afghanistan after the militants opened fire on the Western patrol, wounding one soldier, an official said on Wednesday. The troops came under attack on Tuesday in Barmal district of Paktika province, said Capt Jose Lopez, a spokesman for the NATO-led troops. Troops returned fire and called in close air support, killing 15 suspected insurgents, Lopez said. A NATO soldier was also wounded in the leg. The nationality of the wounded soldier was not disclosed. Most of the troops in the area are American.
The 31,000-troop NATO-led force is trying to bring stability to the volatile country. The Taliban launched the insurgency soon after they were toppled and their guerrilla-style attacks have increased every year. The daily violence plaguing Afghanistan is blamed on the Al Qaeda terror network and a radical faction led by fugitive ex-prime minister and fundamentalist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. |