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US soldier, six Taliban killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- One US soldier and six Taliban militants have been killed in separate incidents of violence in Afghanistan, officials said on Saturday.
The US soldier died in a roadside landmine incident in southern Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. It did not give more details.
Separately, the Afghan police and army killed six Taliban in the country's northern province of Kunduz.
Police officials in the city of Kunduz said the operation was conducted on a tip-off about the presence of Taliban in Dashte Archi district. They said the two sides clashed and the fighting continued for three hours.
Six militants were killed in the firefight while the rest managed to escape, said police chief of Kunduz province.
Kunduz was considered one of the peaceful provinces of Afghanistan. However, attacks on foreign and local troops have been increased in the area over the past few months pointing to the spread of militants from the volatile southern to the comparatively peaceful northern zone. (end) gk.ajs KUNA 191553 Dec 09NNNN