Two NATO soldiers, 60 Taliban killed in Afghanistan - Summary

DPA, Sat, 23 May 2009 15:17:45 GMT Author : 

Kabul -

Two NATO soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan, it was announced Saturday, while US military claimed their joint operation with Afghan forces killed 60 alleged Taliban fighters in the same region. A soldier serving under the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was shot dead in the turbulent southern region on Friday, ISAF said in a statement.

The second ISAF soldier died when the helicopter he was flying made an emergency landing, in southern Uruzgan province on Friday, a separate NATO statement said.

"The emergency landing was not caused by (Taliban) action," the statement said.

The statement did not reveal the nationalities of the deceased soldiers - which is usual policy until the national governments have been informed first.

Soldiers from Canada, Britain, the United States and the Netherlands are the main troops battling Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's southern region, where the rebels are most active.

Meanwhile, sixty alleged Taliban fighters were killed in an operation in Nad Ali and Marjah districts of southern Helmand province in the past four days, the coalition forces said Saturday.

There are around 70,000 international troops deployed from 42 nations stationed in Afghanistan. The US has ordered the deployment of 21,000 additional troops, with the bulk of them to be deployed to the southern region in the coming months.

The restive region has seen a series of clashes in the past weeks, with Afghan and NATO troops fighting Taliban fighters resisting the NATO occupation forces.