Four US soldiers have been wounded when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near the Sharona Provincial Reconstruction Team in the southern province of Paktika, the US-led coalition forces said Sunday.

The four US servicemen are being treated by US medical personnel for minor wounds, said the US forces in a press release.

After moving the vehicle, service members found a battery box with wires leading from the crater.

A team of Coalition explosive experts is investigating the incident on Saturday.

These attacks have dragged Afghanistan backward instead of toward a better, brighter future, said US Army Lt. Col. Jerry O' hara, a spokesperson for Combined Joint Task Force-76.

After the collapse of the former Taliban regime at the end of 2001, the US-led coalition of over 18,000 soldiers remains in the country, hunting down remnants of the Taliban and other Islamic militants.

So far, almost 170 US soldiers have been killed in and around Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001.

Source: Xinhua