Afghan clashes kill 2 NATO troops, 14 militants

updated 8:34 a.m. ET May 21, 2008

KABUL, Afghanistan - Fresh violence in Afghanistan left 18 dead, including two NATO soldiers and 14 insurgents, officials said Wednesday.

An explosion killed a soldier and civilian interpreter on patrol in eastern Ghazni province, a NATO statement said. Two NATO soldiers were wounded, one of whom later died at a military hospital.

The statement gave no details on the victims' nationalities or the nature of the explosion.

In neighboring Zabul province, air strikes and a three-hour gunbattle killed an Afghan army soldier and 14 insurgents on Tuesday, deputy governor Gulab Shah Alikhel. Six of the dead insurgents appeared to be Arabs, he said.

Afghan security forces reportedly seized insurgents' ammunition and night-vision goggles after the firefight.

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