Two coalition soldiers were killed during a firefight in southern Afghanistan that also left about 45 militants dead, military officials said Sunday. The two soldiers were killed during an operation on Saturday in support of Operation Mountain Thrust and later died at a hospital, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement. One coalition soldier was also wounded, the Associated Press reported. Coalition and Afghan forces killed about 45 Taliban militants during the fighting, the coalition said. The four-hour gunbattle began late Saturday in the Panjwayi district of southern Kandahar province, said Gen. Rahmatullah Roufi. The Taliban fighters were firing from hidden positions in an orchard, he said. Coalition troops called in a helicopter gunship that strafed the area.
