US special forces soldiers in eastern Afghanistan came under attack at dawn today from rockets and heavy machineguns.
The US forces returned fire in the battle at a base near Lwara that lasted between one and two hours, a military spokesman said.
The US base at Lwara is close to the city of Khost, which has seen bloody clashes in recent weeks between rival Afghan factions and tribes.
US military bases in the area have come under sporadic rocket attack in the past.