One coalition soldier killed, 11 wounded in S. Afghanistan

One coalition soldier was killed and 11 others injured during a fierce battle against Taliban militants in the southern Uruzgan province of Afghanistan, coalition forces said in a press release on Tuesday.

During the battle on Monday in Tarin Kowt district, capital of the province, coalition troops attacked and destroyed a truck which extremists were loading with mortar equipment, it said.

The attack was followed by a heavy engagement with Taliban fighters and assessments of their casualties were yet to be reported.

All coalition casualties were medically evacuated to a coalition hospital in Tarin Kowt, while the killed soldier's nationality has not been announced.

Afghanistan has suffered from a rise of Taliban-linked violence this year, during which over 1,100 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed.

About 60 foreign troops, most of whom are U.S. soldiers, also lost their lives in this war-weary country in the same period.

Source: Xinhua