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Global

Four NATO troops killed in Afghanistan


    KABUL (Reuters) - An improvised explosive device killed four U.S.-led coalition soldiers on Saturday in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, the scene of a recent large anti-Taliban offensive and an insurgent jail break.

    Two coalition soldiers were also wounded in the IED strike,a U.S. military statement said, without giving any furtherdetails.

    The Taliban have upped pressure on Kandahar in the past twoweeks, freeing at least 300 of their comrades in the jailbreak, then occupying areas outside the town, forcing Afghanand foreign troops to launch a large offensive to clear themout.

    As well as about 50,000 troops in the NATO-ledInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF), there are morethan 10,000 mainly American soldiers who are part of theU.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, mainly involved inanti-terrorism operations and training Afghan security forces.

    The Taliban have vowed to step up their campaign of suicideand roadside bombings this year to weaken the pro-WesternAfghan government and wear down Western support for thecontinued presence of international troops inside the country.

    While Afghan and international forces are able to fight offany conventional Taliban attack, combating suicide and roadsideimprovised explosive devices is proving more of a challenge asit depends on good policing and intelligence work.

    Elsewhere in Afghanistan, coalition troops killed severalmilitants and detained three more in the northeastern provinceof Kapisa, the U.S. military said on Saturday.

    One coalition soldier was also killed and two wounded inthe western Afghan province of Farah on Friday.

    (Writing by Jon Hemming; Editing by David Fogarty)