'Taleban' kill Afghan soldiers

Officials in Afghanistan says that suspected Taleban fighters have killed five Afghan soldiers in the southern province of Helmand.

An Afghan driver working for an American aid agency, Mercy Corps, was also killed in the attack.

A provincial spokesman in Helmand told the BBC that about 40 suspected Taleban fighters attacked the soldiers in the remote district of Deshu.

He said that the Taleban group had crossed the border from Pakistan.

During the last month, suspected Taleban guerrillas have stepped up their attacks in south-western provinces.

Their targets have included government officials.

In recent months a number of soldiers have been killed in similar attacks.

The Taleban regime was ousted during the US-led operation in 2001.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service