A British soldier is dead and several others are wounded after NATO forces clashed with Taliban fighters during an attack on a rebel base in southern Afghanistan Monday, confirmed Britain's Ministry of Defence.

The soldiers were attacking the base when they were "engaged from several insurgent positions,'' NATO said.

The rebel fighters were later bombed by aircraft.

Two NATO forces have been killed in Afghanistan this year.

No details were given regarding the rebel casualties.

In a separate incident, two NATO soldiers were wounded in a roadside bomb attack, southwest of Kandahar, on Monday.

The blast struck a convoy of soldiers in Sanzary, near the Panjwaii district.

The injured soldiers were not Canadian, confirmed Lieut. Sue Stefko, a spokesperson for the Canadian Forces.

The wounded are believed to be American soldiers.

Stefko said Canadian troops did provide a security cordon after the blast as they were operating in the area.

They also played a role in evacuating the injured soldiers.

Militants are increasingly using remote controlled explosive devices when fighting NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Canada has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and since 2002, 44 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed.

With files from The Canadian Press