KABUL/SPIN BOLDAK, Aug 31: Taliban fighters put up stiff resistance on Sunday as Afghan and US forces backed by artillery, jet fighters and attack helicopters continued to hunt hundreds of militants, an official said.

Mr Khalil Hotak, intelligence chief in the southern province of Zabul where the battle entered its seventh day, said 14 Taliban guerillas were killed on Saturday, taking the ousted Islamic militia’s reported losses since Monday to more than 90.

The US military has confirmed 33 Taliban deaths during the first three days of fighting, which has involved the largest concentration of fighters from the hardline regime since the movement was driven from power late in 2001.

In a separate clash, two US soldiers were killed near their base at Shkin, in the eastern province of Paktika, a few kilometres from the Pakistan border. A third soldier who was wounded was in a stable condition and awaiting evacuation.

A US combat patrol came under fire early on Sunday, and four attackers were killed in the ensuing battle, a US military statement said.

It did not say who the suspected assailants were, but recent attacks on Afghan government forces in Paktika have been blamed on Taliban guerillas crossing from Pakistan.

In Zabul, Hotak said an unknown number of Taliban were stationed in the Kohi Sero area, the Taliban’s main stronghold and the target of bombing by US and allied fighters and heavy artillery fire from infantry forces.

“Fighting has escalated today,” Mr Hotak told Reuters from Zabul. “The bombardment has intensified, so has the shelling, but the Taliban are out there and bitterly resisting.”

Hundreds of Afghan troops backed by several dozen US-led special operations soldiers had overrun Taliban hideouts in various parts of Dai Chopan district since the start of the operation, Mr Hotak added.

The clashes involve up to 1,000 Afghan troops and a similar number of Taliban guerillas.

Zabul’s governor Hafizullah told Reuters late on Saturday six Afghan soldiers died during the whole operation and four injured.—Reuters