19 Dead in Attacks by Taliban, Including Rebels Killed by U.S.

[Rose Siding]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Feb. 25 (AP) - Taliban insurgents carried out three attacks in southeastern Afghanistan in heavy combat that left 19 people dead - including 10 rebels killed by American troops, officials said Friday. One American soldier was wounded.

At least nine Afghan soldiers were killed when rebels ambushed their vehicle in the Chakul district of Helmand Province on Thursday, said Hajji Wali Muhammad, a spokesman for the governor.

In neighboring Kandahar Province, an American soldier was shot and wounded when he and his unit came under small-arms fire while investigating a roadside bomb on Thursday, the military said in a statement.

Meanwhile, rebels ambushed an Afghan patrol in Khost Province, near the border with Pakistan, wounding five soldiers. Afghan and American forces fired back, killing three Taliban suspects.

Two American helicopters sent to survey the area hours later were attacked from the ground with small-arms fire. One helicopter fired back, killing seven more suspected insurgents, the military said.

http://nytimes.com/2005/02/26/international/middleeast/26afghan.html