U.S.-led forces searched mountains in Afghanistan on Saturday for an American unit missing for four days, while a roadside bomb attack on a convoy including U.N. and U.S. vehicles killed at least four Afghan troops. The blast in the southeastern province of Paktika slightly wounded the provincial police chief and critically wounded his driver, as well as killing four soldiers, Paktika Governor Gulab Mangal said. The incident came amid growing violence by Taliban and allied militants aimed at derailing Sept. 18 parliamentary polls, the next big step in Afghanistan's difficult path to stability. Mangal said the 20-25 vehicle convoy included U.N. officials and U.S. soldiers from Paktika's Provincial Reconstruction Team, as well as officials of the province, police and army, Reuters reported. U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards said reports from U.N. staff said that four police officers and two Afghan soldiers had been killed, but there were no U.N. or U.S. casualties. Edwards said the U.N. staff had been on a mission to discuss security with tribal leaders. --More 1918 Local Time 1618 GMT
