'29 insurgents' killed in Afghanistan, says US

The US coalition troops killed 29 insurgents during a battle today in eastern Afghanistan, the coalition said in a statement.

The force was targeting a suspected foreign fighter camp in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan, sparking a "fierce firefight" during which at least six insurgents equipped with explosives blew themselves up, the statement said.

One coalition member was wounded in the assault, in which troops also called airstrikes for support.

Following the battle, forces discovered weapons caches containing rocket-propelled grenade launchers, ammunition, AK-47 assault rifles, suicide vests and other armaments, the statement said.

Insurgents use the volatile and porous border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a base for operations and for movement of people and equipment.

The administration of President Barack Obama has declared eliminating militant havens in Pakistan vital to its goals of defeating al-Qa'ida and winning the war in Afghanistan.

US military officers say insurgents use Pakistan as a base to launch attacks over the frontier in Afghanistan.