U.S. soldier in Gardez, Afghanistan

At least one American soldier has been killed and several others wounded in fighting against Taleban and al-Qaida forces in eastern Afghanistan. U.S. military officials told VOA two Afghan allied soldiers also were killed Saturday in combat in Paktia province. No further details were available. Earlier, Afghan military sources said several Afghan fighters had been wounded by al-Qaida mortar fire. The number of Taleban and al-Qaida casualties was not immediately known.

Hundreds of Afghan fighters backed by dozens of American troops launched an attack early Saturday in the Shah-e-Kot mountains some 150 kilometers south of the capital Kabul, but were held off by thousands of al-Qaida and Taleban members. Reuters news agency quotes a regional official as saying senior leaders of both organizations were among them. Neither Osama bin Laden nor Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar were believed to be among them.

U.S. B-52 bombers could be heard flying over the area late Saturday, but it was not immediately known whether U.S. and allied troops had pulled back to allow air attacks to resume. American warplanes began bombing the region Friday in an attempt to dislodge the al-Qaida terrorists and their Taleban supporters.

Pakistan has sent military forces to its northwestern border to prevent Taleban and al-Qaida fighters from fleeing Afghanistan.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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