Nato soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

A firefight in southern Afghanistan left one Nato soldier dead and two others injured today, the alliance said.

The two wounded soldiers were treated in a military hospital and their conditions were “not serious”, Nato said in a statement. It did not identify the casualties or say where the clash took place.

Most of the Nato troops in the south – which includes the former Taliban-stronghold of Kandahar and the opium-growing province of Helmand – are British or Canadian.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force is currently engaged in its largest-ever operation against resurgent Taliban guerrillas.

An airstrike called by US-led troops in the south killed at least 35 suspected militants yesterday, officials said.

However, a series of bomb and gun attacks have killed 11 Nato soldiers since the weekend, despite their superior firepower and support from troops of Afghanistan’s new national army.

Roadside bombs struck two Nato convoys in the east yesterday, killing two soldiers. Another Nato soldier was wounded. Most alliance soldiers in the east are American.

The violence coincided with a gathering of Nato military officials in Canada to discuss how to strengthen their efforts in Afghanistan.

Nato and US leaders have made repeated calls for additional resources, but have met resistance from some allies, including the French and Germans, who questioned the wisdom of deploying more combat troops and said more emphasis should be placed on reconstruction efforts.

Returning from that meeting on Sunday, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Nato wanted about 3,400 more trainers for the Afghan army and police force. US officials hope European nations will meet most of that need.

The Nato-led force in the south also needs more aircraft and medical equipment as well as military trainers to bolster its spring assault against the Taliban, according to the US military.

Gates said the group that met in Canada – which included defence ministers from Britain, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark and Romania – talked mostly about how to better co-ordinate their military and civilian activities, including reconstruction efforts.

A Nato operation designed to pre-empt a surge in guerrilla attacks began last month with Operation Achilles – sending more than 5,500 Nato and Afghan troops into Helmand province to battle Taliban insurgents.