Taliban Rebels Kill 6 Troops

Four U.S. troops and two Afghan soldiers were killed, and six Americans were wounded Saturday during clashes with Taliban militants, officials said.

The fighting was reported to be some of the heaviest in recent months and came as war-battered Afghanistan celebrated its independence day.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed and three wounded during a clash with Taliban militants in the eastern province of Kunar near the border with Pakistan, said U.S. military spokesman Col. Tom Collins.

American troops in that area are hunting for Taliban fighters, as well as Al Qaeda supporters.

In the southern province of Oruzgan, a U.S. serviceman and two Afghan counterparts were killed and three other Americans hurt during a four-hour clash with more than 100 insurgents, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said in a statement.

The troops used artillery and air support to repel the attack, the statement said.

In Kandahar province, fighting left 71 suspected Taliban militants and four police dead, officials said today.

The insurgents were killed when they launched an attack in the Panjwayi district of the southern province late Saturday, said Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, the district chief. Police fired back with the help of NATO aircraft, he said.

Four police were also killed and three were wounded, said a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The American slain in Oruzgan was identified by family members as Adam Servais, 22, of Onalaska, Wis. The three-year veteran, whose rank was not available, was with the Air Force.