French soldiers, Taliban die in Afghan fighting

Two French soldiers have been killed in an ambush in Afghanistan, the French Defence Ministry said yesterday, the latest casualties in the bloodiest stretch of violence since the Taliban were overthrown five years ago.

A ministry official said the soldiers were on patrol with special forces on Friday when a bomb exploded and "extremists" opened fire with light weapons in an ambush 38 kilometres from Mihtarlam, capital of the eastern province of Laghman. Two other French soldiers were wounded but were in stable condition. Foreign forces said they killed 22 rebels in air and artillery strikes on Friday in the south, where the Taliban resurgence is at its strongest.

Afghanistan is going through its bloodiest phase since US-led troops drove the Taliban from power after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. About 2,000 people, most of them militants but also including civilians, Afghan troops, aid workers and more than 90 foreign soldiers, have been killed in violence this year.