Twenty two suspected Taliban including three Arabs were killed and anther captured during an operation in southern Zabul province in the weekend, US military spokesman said Monday.

"Operations in the vicinity of Shinkay since Saturday resulted in the killing of 22 enemy insurgents including three Arabs," Scott Nelson told journalists here.

However, he declined to disclose their nationality saying due to security reasons he could not identify them.

Another three suspected terrorists including one Arab were captured in the gun battle backed by Apache helicopters, the US officer said.

The fighting took place after the anti-coalition attacked the US soldiers patrolling in Shinkay district, the spokesman added.

During the operations, he added, a host of documents including a video camera, tapes, two AK-47s and four grenades were seized.

Zabul and neighboring restive provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Uruzgan commonly known as the heartland of the Taliban have been the scene of spiraling insurgency for the last several nine months in which dozens of civilians, rebels, US and Afghan troops have been killed.

Remnants of the fundamentalist movement whose regime collapsed under a US-led military campaign in late 2001 have vowed to derail the Oct. 9 Afghan presidential race.