Scores Killed In Afghan Fighting

Fighting in Afghanistan killed some 75 people as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began, including 45 suspected Taliban militants who died in air strikes and Afghan army gunfire, officials said Thursday.

In the southern province of Uruzgan, insurgents attacked a joint Afghan army and U.S.-led coalition patrol Wednesday with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire, the coalition said in a statement.

Afghan soldiers "cleared" Taliban fighters from firing positions within the village of Aduzay, while attack aircraft destroyed some fighting positions, it said. The coalition said more than 45 Taliban were killed.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Wednesday that insurgents increased attacks during Ramadan last year and that the same may happen this year.

"On the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, the enemies of Afghanistan have shown they will shun peaceful coexistence in favor of attacking government forces," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman. "Fortunately for the citizens of Afghanistan, the (Afghan National Army) is improving their tactics."

The coalition said no Afghan or coalition soldiers or civilians were wounded or killed in Uruzgan. It was not possible to confirm the death toll independently because of the remote location of the fighting.

Fighting has increased dramatically in the last several weeks in Afghanistan, with more than 300 suspected Taliban fighters killed since late August, according to the U.S.-led coalition.

More than 4,300 people - mostly militants - have died in insurgency related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Western and Afghan officials.

In fighting elsewhere in the country, an Afghan-NATO patrol discovered and defused three roadside bombs Wednesday in the Zhari district of Kandahar province and shortly after was ambushed by Taliban fighters. A helicopter gunship joined the ensuing battle, which left 12 militants dead, said Syed Agha Saqib, the provincial police chief said Thursday.

In Zabul province, 11 Taliban fighters were killed during a battle with NATO and Afghan soldiers on Wednesday, said Gulab Shah Alikhail, the governor's spokesman said Thursday.

Three police were killed in Herat province during a five-hour fight on Wednesday, and one Afghan soldier was killed in Farah province Thursday, officials said. Two civilians were killed by a bomb hidden in a cart that exploded near a police station in Takhar province, in the north.

Police in Helmand province shot and killed a would-be suicide bomber before he could detonate his explosives on Thursday, said Gen. Mohammad Hussein Andiwal, the provincial police chief.