WASHINGTON, April 25: Two US soldiers were killed and five wounded in a clash with unidentified attackers in southeastern Afghanistan on Friday, the US Central Command said in a statement.

The group was attacked in Paktika province, near the Pakistan border, while inspecting a site previously used for a rocket attack on US and Afghan government sources, the CENTCOM said.

The pro-Taliban forces, the announcement said, opened fire at the platoon east of Fire Base Shkin, killed a US service member and wounded five others. A soldier of the official Afghan military was also wounded in the attack.

US forces estimate at least three attackers were also killed in the exchange of fire.

The platoon was responding to a report of suspicious activity in the vicinity of the launch site. When the patrol reached the area they received fire from approximately 20 pro-Taliban fighters.

A second platoon-sized quick reaction force responded to the vicinity of the attack. The attackers fled across the border into Pakistan, the announcement said.

Close Air Support consisting of two coalition air forces F-16 Fighting Falcons, two US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolts and two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters responded to the area but the attackers had already fled before the air support arrived.

In an update to a reported attack on a US Chinook Ch-47 helicopter on Wednesday, the CENTCOM said the aircraft was stripped of all sensitive equipment and blown in place.

It was attacked by anti-US forces in eastern Afghanistan and was forced to land.

A US Special Forces team received small arms fire from an unknown number of personnel at the Madr valley firebase late on Wednesday. A patrol was sent but found nothing. There were no injuries or equipment damage.

An Afghan military forces soldier was medically evacuated from the vicinity of Jalalabad to Bagram air field early on Thursday with serious head and leg injuries from an improvised explosive device. The injuries came when his unit was ambushed in the vicinity of Jalalabad.

Attacks on US and Afghan government soldiers have increased recently along the areas bordering Pakistan.