The Afghan National Army (ANA) and U.S. soldiers killed an estimated 20 insurgents during a prolonged firefight at an isolated compound in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar, the U.S. military said Sunday in a statement carried by dpa. Nine ANA soldiers were killed and four five others including a U.S. soldier were lightly wounded, the statement said. At least five suspected insurgent members are in coalition custody, the statement said. There are currently around 20,000 U.S.-led military troops hunting the remnants of the Islamic extremist Taliban and their allies from al-Qaeda network, mainly in south and southeastern region of the country. About 100 people, including Afghan soldiers and police as well as suspected Taliban have been killed in less than a week in southern and southeastern Afghanistan. -- SP 2340 Local Time 2040 GMT
