Afghan fighting escalates after clash with Taliban

FIGHTING intensified in Afghanistan over the weekend after security forces surrounded Taliban fighters hiding in a village, launching a gun battle that killed at least three militants and a police officer.

Elsewhere in the region, Taliban militants attacked an Afghan construction company working for coalition forces, killing a security guard. On Saturday, a roadside bomb killed four Canadian soldiers in same area.

The blast came as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said “foreigners” are fomenting his country’s insurgency. He didn’t name any countries or groups.