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Three troops die in Afghan clash Nato names Afghan expansion date
(about 2 hours later)
Three soldiers have been killed in a clash in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar, according to a statement from the US-led coalition force. The Nato alliance is to assume control of military operations across the whole of Afghanistan from Thursday onwards.
On 5 October it will take command of most US troops in the east.
The move will complete Nato's expansion across Afghanistan, making it responsible for peace-keeping and security across the country.
In the latest fighting, officials say that two US soldiers and one Afghan were killed in a clash in the eastern province of Kunar.
Two of the dead were US soldiers, the third was an Afghan. Three US soldiers were wounded in the clash in the province's Pech district.Two of the dead were US soldiers, the third was an Afghan. Three US soldiers were wounded in the clash in the province's Pech district.
Kunar, on Pakistan's border, is east Afghanistan's most troubled province.Kunar, on Pakistan's border, is east Afghanistan's most troubled province.
International forces in the country's south and east are increasingly coming under attack from Taleban fighters.International forces in the country's south and east are increasingly coming under attack from Taleban fighters.
"The soldiers were operating as part of a combat patrol that made contact with enemy extremists," the US military statement said. "The soldiers were operating as part of a combat patrol that made contact with enemy extremists," a US military statement said.
Stable United command
"The unit engaged the insurgents with small arms and artillery fire," it said. "On the 5th of October Nato's Security Assistance Force will be expanded to all of Afghanistan," the alliance's senior civilian representative Dan Everts told a press conference in Kabul.
The coalition said the wounded soldiers have been evacuated to a US treatment facility in Asadabad, the provincial capital. The statement described their condition as stable. "Most of the US forces that are operating under their own command right now in the east will join the overall International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) organisation and be part of the unified Isaf Command," he said.
A Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) is due to take command of Afghanistan's eastern provinces from the US-led coalition force soon. Isaf is the official name for the Nato-led force in Afghanistan.
Isaf has already taken command of southern Afghanistan. We have to stay the course and we will stay the course - and we will prevail Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
But Nato is still seeking commitments, particularly from European countries, to send an extra 2,500 soldiers. Nato officials endorsed the expansion at a meeting of its defence ministers in Brussels last Thursday.
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer recently said they had made "very good progress", but were not "completely there". It means that an additional 12,000 US troops will come under Nato command.
'We will prevail' Isaf - comprising 37 nations - took command of the Taleban-dominated southern provinces from the coalition on 31 July, moving into one of the most hostile areas of the country.
He warned it was very important for Nato to stay. Correspondents say that British, Canadian and Dutch troops in the south have been engaged in some of the heaviest fighting since Nato's formation.
The aim of Isaf is to quell the spiralling Taleban insurgency through a dual mission of military pressure and reconstruction, intended to win "hearts and minds".
Nato troop numbers in Afghanistan now stand at 32,000, with around 8,000 US troops engaged in tracking down members of al-Qaeda in eastern Afghanistan.
They will remain under US command.
'Terrorism hotbed'
Correspondents say the expansion comes despite an admission from Nato military commanders that it does not have enough troops to carry out its mission.
It has appealed for member countries to provide another 2,500 troops.
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer recently warned it was very important for the alliance to stay in Afghanistan.
Nato says it needs more troops on the ground
The consequences of failure would be Afghanistan's return to "a hotbed of terrorism training and the violation of human rights", he said.The consequences of failure would be Afghanistan's return to "a hotbed of terrorism training and the violation of human rights", he said.
"We have to stay the course and we will stay the course - and we will prevail"."We have to stay the course and we will stay the course - and we will prevail".
The Afghan and Pakistani presidents accuse each other of failing to act against the militants, with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai particularly criticising Gen Pervez Musharraf's peace deal with pro-Taleban militants in the North Waziristan border area. The Afghan and Pakistani presidents accuse each other of failing to act against the militants, with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai strongly criticising Gen Pervez Musharraf's peace deal with pro-Taleban militants in the North Waziristan border area.
Mr Karzai has also suggested that Pakistan has turned a blind eye to Taleban supporters using parts of the country to train and launch attacks on Afghanistan.Mr Karzai has also suggested that Pakistan has turned a blind eye to Taleban supporters using parts of the country to train and launch attacks on Afghanistan.
Gen Musharraf has angrily rejected allegations that his ISI intelligence service aided al-Qaeda and the Taleban.Gen Musharraf has angrily rejected allegations that his ISI intelligence service aided al-Qaeda and the Taleban.