
HELMAND - About 4,000 U.S. Marines and 650 Afghan troops launched a major offensive in southern Helmand province, a traditional Taliban stronghold, U.S. military commanders said. A U.S. military spokesman said there had been small skirmishes and some minor casualties had been reported. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said one Taliban fighter had been killed and two wounded and claimed that 11 foreign troops had been killed or wounded.
PAKTIKA - A U.S. soldier has been missing since Tuesday and was thought to have been captured by insurgents in southeastern Paktika province, the U.S. military said in a statement.
ZABUL - Afghan police killed nine insurgents in Dai Chopan district in southeastern Zabul, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. A tonne of explosives was also uncovered in the operation, it said.
HELMAND - Britain's Ministry of Defence identified as British two soldiers from the NATO-led force who were killed in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday. They were killed during an operation near Lashkar Gah, it said in a statement.
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AFGHAN CONVOY ATTACKEDSoldiers, militants killed in southern Afghanistan
FRIENDLY FIRE KILLS SEVEN7 Afghan security forces killed in NATO airstrike
EU BIDCyprus says Kosovo must not hamper Serbia EU bid
AUTONOMYSerbia mulls wide autonomy for northern province































































