A US special forces solider has died of wounds sustained in an accident during overnight operations in Afghanistan's Dai Chopan district, the US military claimed today.
The report comes as Afghan forces clashed with Taliban fighters in the southern province of Zabul for a fifth consecutive day after reports of the deaths of another 30 militants.
Another soldier from US-led forces was wounded yesterday as special operations troops continued to support Afghan militia hunting the largest group of militants from the Islamic movement since its collapse late in 2001.
"In Chinaran the fighting is ongoing," Mr Noor Ahmad Hamraz, secretary to the governor of Zabul, said by satellite telephone.
"We received reports that 30 Taliban were killed by that time." Afghan commanders claim well over 100 Taliban have been killed in the clashes, although the US military, which has contributed dozens of special forces soldiers and pounded Taliban positions from the air, has confirmed only 14 enemy losses.
An estimated 450 Afghan soldiers and their US allies are hunting up to 1,000 Taliban who were active in central Uruzgan province before fleeing southeast into Zabul.