Four US soldiers have been killed and another wounded in clashes with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the US military said today.
"Coalition forces attacked enemy extremists in a remote area of the Kamdesh District while conducting security operations," the US military said in a statement.
The violence has surged as Nato prepares to takes over security duties from US-led forces in the south, the rebel heartland. The latest clash occurred in eastern Nuristan province yesterday.
The clash in Nuristan comes after the launch of a major US-led offensive called "Operation Mountain Thrust" against the Islamist Taliban rebels in the volatile south ahead of the Nato takeover.
The Taliban are mostly active in the eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan, where they enjoy considerable support among the local population.
Over 1,000 people have died in violence in Afghanistan this year, including more than 40 foreign troops, most of them Americans. About 400 people were killed in May.