40 rebels dead in Afghan battle
(CNN) -- The bodies of at least 40 insurgents have been found in the aftermath of Tuesday's fighting between attackers and Afghan and U.S. forces. An Afghan police officer also died in the battle.
The U.S.-led military coalition, in a statement issued Wednesday, upped the casualty toll to 40 from 25. The fighting followed "unprovoked attacks" by the insurgents, the military said, and it took place in southeastern Afghanistan near Deh Chopan in Zabul province.
Along with the police officer's death, six U.S. service members, five Afghan National Police officers, and an insurgent were wounded. The military said Wednesday the dead insurgents were a mix of "Taliban and al Qaeda" members.
Forces detained and questioned six suspected insurgents. A village leader had been detained after other villagers said he was a member of the Taliban.
The statement from Tuesday said an Afghan man complained to police that he was beaten up. The man took police and U.S. forces to the spot where he was accosted and the forces "came under small-arms fire."
"Afghan National Army forces and U.S. soldiers operating in the area quickly moved to the site and cordoned off the insurgent forces by use of small-arms fire and support from coalition fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft," the military statement said.
The wounded soldiers were taken to Kandahar Airfield for medical treatment. Two wounded U.S. soldiers returned to duty and the other four were to be transported to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany for further treatment.
