US soldiers killed by Afghan bomb

Almost 200 foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year

Seven Nato troops have been killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said.

The incident is the deadliest single attack suffered by foreign troops in a month. Isaf did not identify the nationalities of those killed.

Earlier, a Nato helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing one soldier, officials said.

Almost 200 foreign troops have been killed in the country so far this year.

Meanwhile, Nato-led forces say they have pushed back Taliban fighters in a district in the eastern province of Nuristan.

Local officials said up to 500 insurgents seized the district of Doab on Wednesday.

The international security mission disputes the account given by local leaders. “At no point was the district centre overrun, the Taliban were never in control,” said Isaf spokesman Maj Tim James.

Afghan and Nato troops arrived in the district on Wednesday afternoon and carried out a number of air strikes, he said.

“The area remains calm with Afghan and Nato troops very much in control,” added Maj James.

It is very hard to confirm Nato’s claims or how far their control extends in the district. The provincial governor says nearly 30 insurgents were killed on Wednesday – but questions remain over the whereabouts of hundreds of others.

The BBC’s Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says the mountainous area has many hiding places.

Our correspondent says local officials in Nuristan have been warning for more than a year that the government and Nato should do more to counter the militant threat in the area.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.