SPIN BOLDAK, July 20: The US military said on Sunday its forces had killed up to 24 fighters who attacked a coalition convoy in southern Afghanistan at the weekend.

The convoy came under fire from unknown attackers on Saturday near the town of Spin Boldak on the Pakistan border, US spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Lefforge said.

“The coalition forces drove through the kill zone, requested close air support and engaged the enemy forces, killing approximately five enemy and pursuing the remaining forces into the surrounding hills,” he said in a statement.

“AH-64 Apaches provided the air support, making several passes on the hill, killing approximately 17-19 more enemy.”

Mr Lefforge said there were no coalition casualties in the attack, which happened near the US firebase at Spin Boldak. Two rockets landed near the base on Friday night but caused no casualties, the military said.

Earlier, Afghan officials said US aircraft struck positions of Taliban guerillas after they attacked a government checkpoint six km east of Spin Boldak on Saturday night.

Spin Boldak District Commissioner Sayed Fazaldin Agha said two government soldiers were killed in the attack, but witnesses reported seeing four dead government soldiers.

He said five suspected Taliban guerillas had been arrested and 25 weapons seized in a joint US-Afghan operation against the Taliban in the area on Sunday.

Speaking by telephone from an unknown location, Taliban official Mullah Abdul Rauf said at least 20 government soldiers were killed in Saturday’s fighting, involving 200 guerillas.

“One of our comrades was also killed,” he said. “The Taliban fighters later left the area.”

The engagements would be the bloodiest in Afghanistan since June, when government forces reported killing 40 Taliban fighters in the Spin Boldak area.

Agha said at least 100 Taliban fighters fled into Pakistan.

Khalid Khan Achakzai, a senior local official with the foreign ministry, said the fighting on Saturday lasted about five hours and US forces sent armoured vehicles in support.—Reuters