NATO and Afghan troops battled a large group of insurgents who attacked a military base in southern Afghanistan Saturday, killing 55 suspected militants, the alliance said. A roadside blast killed one NATO soldier and wounded eight others. Some 100 to 150 militants attacked a military base north of Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan, NATO said. NATO-led and Afghan troops fought back with small arms fire, attack helicopters and airstrikes. "Initial battle damage assessment indicates that up to 55 insurgents were killed," NATO said. One Afghan soldier was wounded. On Sunday, a roadside blast killed one NATO soldier and wounded eight other troops in Uruzgan, the alliance said. Three civilians were wounded. The nationalities of the slain and wounded soldiers were not disclosed. A purported statement by the Taliban leadership, meanwhile, said it has ruled out talks with President Hamid Karzai's government as long as foreign troops remain in the country, the Associated Press reported.
