QUETTA, May 20: Two drug smugglers belonging to an international gang and one Afghan army soldier were killed while four others were seriously injured in a clash between Afghan drug barons and security forces in Loya Walah village near Kandahar on Saturday.

Afghan troops raided a suspected house on a tip-off that some Al Qaeda and Taliban members were hiding at it. But instead of the aforementioned elements, the troops discovered a gang of drug smugglers present. The ensuing fire-fight resulted in casualties for both sides. The smugglers were equipped with heavy weaponry.

An Afghan commander added his forces had recovered 10 hand-grenades, a number of AK-47 rifles, rockets and several thousand rounds of ammunition. A large quantity of opium, hashish and heroin was also seized from the house.

Three smugglers have been arrested, while the injured soldiers were admitted to a government hospital where the condition of two was stated as serious.