U.S.-led troops kill 35 in Afghanistan

U.S.-led troops and aircraft pounded suspected Taliban militants, killing more than 35, as the coalition pressed on with its largest offensive in Afghanistan’s insurgent-laden south, officials said.

Fighting between militants and coalition and Afghan forces appears to be intensifying after a traditional winter lull. A rash of NATO fatalities suggests the insurgency remains potent.

A British soldier was killed and two were wounded Friday during a gun battle in the south, officials said.

In Helmand province, U.S.-led troops clashed for five hours Thursday with guerrillas in the district of Sangin, a coalition statement said. The troops “pursued fleeing Taliban fighters northward,” killing more than 35, the statement said.