Troops kill militants in Afghanistan

At least a dozen people were killed south of the Afghan capital of Kabul after US troops spotted two insurgents trying to plant bombs, an Afghan official said.

The two were shot dead in Paktia province, district chief Gulab Shah said.

Troops saw comrades drag the two bodies away and called in a helicopter gunship which killed 10 more people, whom US officials said were all militants, Mr Shah said. He said Afghan authorities had launched an investigation to make sure the dead were all insurgents.