US-led attacks kill 35 Taliban - Afghan official

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, July 16 (Reuters) US-led coalition and Afghan troops have killed 35 Taliban guerrillas in two separate raids in southern Afghanistan, a provincial official said today.

In another attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a government building in the southeast town of Gardez on Sunday, killing three civilians and an Afghan soldier, a local government official said. Some 30 people were wounded.

A coalition soldier died of wounds suffered during a fire fight with militants today in the southern province of Zabul, the US military said in a statement.

Late yesterday, foreign troops, backed by air strikes, attacked two areas close to Sangin district of Helmand province, Helmand's police chief said.

The raids were part of a big offensive launched in June by foreign troops in response to a wave of violence by a resurgent Taliban across the south.

''Twenty-seven Taliban were killed in one of the attacks in which coalition and Afghan forces took part and eight other Taliban died in another raid,'' Nabi Mullahkhail told Reuters today.

He said there were no casualties among coalition or Afghan troops.

Coalition forces could not be contacted for comment, but on Saturday they said they had taken control of Sangin from the Taliban in the offensive. The coalition said 10 Taliban had been killed in a pre-dawn attack in the same area.

MORE REUTERS PR PM1856