15 Taliban Killed in Southern Afghan Raids

Afghan boys play in a destroyed bus in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, July 7, 2006. NATO's secretary-general urged member-states Friday to help boost the alliance's forces in Afghanistan. "NATO is facing shortages still in Afghanistan and my general appeal to all allies ... is that any ally who will be able to fill these shortages should do that," Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after talks with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) (Rodrigo Abd - AP)

During recent months, Afghanistan has been gripped by the bloodiest spate of violence since a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Some 10,000 U.S., Canadian, British and Afghan forces have deployed across southern Afghanistan as part of Operation Mountain Thrust in a bid to loosen the Taliban's hold on the region. At least 20 coalition troops have been killed in combat across Afghanistan since the offensive started in May, according to an Associated Press tally based on coalition figures. Most of the fatalities have been in the south.

Late Sunday, a NATO base on the eastern outskirts of Kabul came under rocket attack. Maj. Ian Clooney said at least two rockets landed at the base but there were no casualties.

Separately, Spain's defense minister announced Sunday that an explosion the previous day in western Afghanistan that killed a Peruvian solder and slightly wounded four Spanish troops was probably caused by a remote-controlled 8.8-pound anti-vehicle land mine.

In eastern Laghman province, Afghan soldiers killed a militant Saturday after their patrol was ambushed, a Defense Ministry statement said. One Afghan soldier was wounded.

Afghan soldiers also arrested four suspected Taliban members, including a local leader identified as Mullah Nazar, in southern Uruzgan province, the statement said. The troops also confiscated a quantity of explosives and Iranian and Pakistani checks valued at $300,000.

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Associated Press writers Paul Garwood in Kabul and David Stringer in London contributed to this report.