Seven soldiers killed in Taliban ambush

A pickup truck carrying seven Afghan government troops has been ambushed by suspected Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan.

All the soldiers were killed according to an official.

The attack happened in the Mir Mundo area of the southern Helmand province about 50 miles north west of Kandahar.

No arrests have been made and nobody has claimed responsibility. Security forces later found a car which was apparently abandoned by the attackers.

Taliban and al-Qaida rebels have been launching increasingly bold assaults in recent months, raiding police stations, killing aid workers and confronting US troops in growing numbers.