AFGHANISTAN: Guerrillas from the ousted Taliban regime killed at least 12 soldiers in southern Afghanistan yesterday in a sharp escalation of violence ahead of next month's landmark presidential election.
At least seven more soldiers were killed in other clashes in the southern province of Zabul on Tuesday and Wednesday, provincial officials said.
They said some Taliban members were also killed, but no details were available.
Mr Kheyal Mohammad Husseini, the Zabul governor, said the latest fighting erupted when guerrillas attacked a government post in the Sori district of the restive province, killing 12 soldiers.
The governor did not have further details of the fighting in the province, the scene of repeated attacks by the Taliban over the past three days.
On Wednesday, the guerrillas attacked a joint convoy of US and Afghan forces.
The Taliban say several US soldiers were killed, but there has been no independent verification.
Zabul is near the border with neighbouring Pakistan and is part of the main bastion of the Taliban. The guerrillas have vowed to derail the October 9th election, in which incumbent President Hamid Karzai is pitted against 17 other candidates.
More than 1,000 people have been killed since August last year in violence linked to remnants of the Taliban, toppled from power in a US-led war for failing to hand over al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden after the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
Most of the presidential candidates have called for the poll to be delayed until security improves, but Mr Karzai has said the vote will take place on schedule.
The election has been delayed twice.