Afghan Insurgents Injure 8 U.S. Troops

Insurgents attacked American forces Friday with rocket-propelled grenades and explosives on roads in southern Afghanistan, injuring at least eight U.S. soldiers, two of them seriously, the U.S. military said.

The first attack occurred at 7 a.m. as a 10-vehicle convoy made its way along a road east of Dai Chopan, in the southeastern province of Zabol. About 10 suspected Taliban insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at the convoy, prompting the American forces to return fire with small arms.

One of the grenades struck a Humvee, wounding five troops, two of whom were being prepared for evacuation to a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

About six hours later, rebels set off a roadside bomb near Zabol’s provincial capital, Qalat, as a U.S. convoy passed. Three soldiers were injured, but all returned to duty.

It was unclear whether there were any rebel casualties, said Maj. Rick Peat, a U.S. military spokesman.

In neighboring Oruzgan province, a convoy carrying election workers was reportedly ambushed Thursday.

Four jeeps carrying staffers from a United Nations-sponsored program to register voters for upcoming elections and their guards came under fire in Char Cheno district, provincial Police Chief Rozi Khan said.

He said that the vehicles were destroyed and that two drivers and one election worker were missing, but had no further details.

Zabol and Oruzgan have seen some of the worst fighting in recent months, and attacks have increased as the nation gears up for its first direct presidential election Oct. 9.

The Taliban has vowed to disrupt the vote, and at least 10 people helping organize the election have been killed this year. In addition, 21 American soldiers have died in action this year, already the worst tally for the U.S. military since it entered Afghanistan in 2001.