3 Coalition Troops Killed in Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai delivers a speech during the Afghan Independence day ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug 19, 2006. The war-weary people of Afghanistan celebrate the 87th anniversary of their country's independence from Britain amid tight security on Saturday. (AP Photo/ Rodrigo Abd) (Rodrigo Abd - AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Three U.S.-led coalition soldiers were killed during a combat operation Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, a coalition spokesman said.

Col. Tom Collins said an unspecified number of coalition soldiers also were wounded in the operation in Pech district of Kunar province. He did not give the nationalities of the soldiers. Most members of the coalition operating in Kunar are American.

American forces are keeping up their hunt for Taliban fighters and extremists close to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, and in recent weeks have been pushing farther north along the remote mountains hugging the Pakistani border.

Saturday's attack follows an Aug. 11 ambush by militants firing rocket-propelled grenades who killed three U.S. soldiers on patrol in Nuristan province, which lies north of Kunar.

Another coalition soldier was killed and another wounded in an ambush Thursday on their patrol near Asad Abad, the capital of Kunar.