US soldier killed in Afghan blast: army

13 February 2010 | 07:39:09 PM | Source: AAP
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A suicide bomber killed a NATO soldier when he detonated an explosives-laden motorcycle near a military patrol in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, as troops launched a major assault against militants.

."There was a suicide bombing near the vehicles of US forces," said Captain Abdul Rahman, who was near the site on the outskirts of Kandahar city.

"One US soldier was killed, three others were wounded and an Afghan civilian was killed and four others were wounded."

NATO said it was unable to immediately confirm the reported death.

A spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told AFP: "We are aware of an explosive device in the area and we are investigating."

The attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Taliban, happened as thousands of US-led troops launched a major assault on an insurgent stronghold in the neighbouring province of Helmand.

A combined force of 15,000 troops led by US Marines launched a pre-dawn assault on the Marjah district of Helmand in an operation aimed at clearing militants from one of their last remaining strongholds in the province.

Hundreds of Afghan, US and British troops had been dropped into Marjah town for Operation Mushtarak ("together" in Dari), ahead of ground forces, a US Marines officer told AFP.

"At 0230 this morning (2200 GMT), helicopters inserted combined forces into Marjah town," said Lieutenant Josh Diddams, spokesman for the US Marines at Taskforce Leatherneck in Helmand.

"We are now moving forward on the ground and meeting minimal resistance."

He confirmed troops had come under fire from Taliban fighters, believed to number 400-1,000, who have hunkered down ready for a fight.

Five Taliban militants were killed soon after the troops landed in Marjah, said Sher Mohammad Zazai, commander of the Afghan Army's 205 Corps.

"According to initial reports, five enemy have been killed," he said.

"Two were killed in one location, three in another. They were killed in face-to-face fighting," he told reporters by video link from Helmand's capital of Lashkar Gah.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1193957/US-soldier-killed-in-Afghan-blast:-army