Afghan police die in gun attack

Afghan police continue to face militant attacks

Suspected Taleban militants have attacked a checkpoint in southern Afghanistan, killing four Afghan policemen, police sources said.

One attacker also died in the attack on Sunday evening in Maywand district on the Herat to Kandahar highway.

The gunmen fired from a moving vehicle, sparking a gun battle. Some reports say a civilian was also killed.

Separately, two US soldiers were hurt when their patrol came under fire at the weekend in nearby Zabul province.

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US military spokesman Maj Mark McCann said the soldiers had been evacuated and were in stable condition.

Suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters continue to attack Afghan and US-led troops, government officials, aid workers and civilians three years after the fall of the Taleban regime.

The 18,000-strong US-led force in Afghanistan launched a new drive last week - "Operation Lightning Freedom" - to maintain pressure on the insurgents.