KABUL, May 22: Twelve suspected militants were killed in a clash with US forces on Saturday night in south-eastern Afghanistan that also left one US soldier wounded, a US military official said on Sunday.

“Coalition forces were on patrol in Gayan village in Paktika province when insurgents fired on them. The result was 12 insurgents killed,” said US army Lt-Col Jerry O’Hara.

“One US soldier was slightly injured, but he was treated on the scene and returned to duty.

“Insurgents are trying to derail the peace process. It was a force-on-force issue, and the insurgents lost.” Another US army spokesperson, Sergeant Marina Evans, said warplanes had also been called in to respond to the ambush.

One US soldier was killed and three others were wounded on Saturday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the southern part of the country. — AFP