Seven US troops killed in latest Afghanistan fighting

Two servicemen died in bombings today in southern Afghanistan, while two others were killed in a bomb attack in the south yesterday and three in fighting in the east the same day, NATO said. Their identities and other details were being withheld until relatives could be notified.

The latest deaths bring to 41 the number of American forces who have died this month in Afghanistan after July's high of 66. A total of 61 international forces have died in the country this month, including seven British troops.

Fighting is intensifying with the addition of 30,000 US troops to bring the total number of international forces in Afghanistan to 120,000 to 100,000 of them American. Most of those new troops have been assigned to the southern insurgent strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces where major battles are fought almost daily as part of a gathering drive to push out the Taliban.

NATO said eight insurgents were killed in joint Afghan-NATO operations Saturday night in the province of Paktiya, including a Taliban commander, Naman, accused of coordinating roadside bomb attacks and the movement of ammunition, supplies and fighters.

Automatic weapons, grenades, magazines and bomb-making material were found in buildings in Zormat district along the mountainous border with Pakistan.Afghan leaders frequently complain that Pakistan is doing to little to prevent cross-border incursions and shut down insurgent safe havens in its territory