South Asia News
Coalition forces kill insurgents, wound Afghan woman
By DPA
Mar 28, 2008, 6:34 GMT

Kabul - US-led coalition forces killed several insurgents and wounded a civilian during an operation against a Taliban leader in southern Afghanistan, the US military said Friday.

Coalition soldiers returned fire after they were attacked in the Kajaki district of volatile Helmand province, the US military said in a statement.

'Coalition forces received small-arms fire from several insurgents armed with AK-47s, machine guns, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades during their search,' Major Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Following the engagement, the troops discovered a wounded woman who was not involved in the fighting, the statement said, adding that she was transported to a medical facility for treatment.

Four suspected militants were arrested and weapons and explosives recovered during the operations, the statement added.

Afghanistan's southern provinces are a hotbed of Taliban insurgents, whose government was toppled in a US-led military invasion six years ago. Continued fighting and bombings killed more than 8,000 people - mostly rebels but also civilians - last year.