KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. coalition says its forces have killed five militants in two operations targeting al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan.
The coalition says an operation in Ghazni province targeting a roadside bomb maker killed two militants. In the eastern province of Kunar, coalition troops inspecting the aftermath of an airstrike against armed militants were fired on by insurgents. The troops returned fire and killed three militants.
This year has been one of the most violent in Afghanistan since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban. More than 4,600 people have died in insurgency related violence, according to an Associated Press count of figures from Afghan and Western officials.
