Allied convoy in Afghanistan struck by blasts

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Mar 2 (Reuters) A convoy carrying Western troops today was struck by at least three blasts as it passed through a Taliban-riddled province in southern Afghanistan, witnesses said.

Residents did not know whether there were any casualties, or what caused the blasts on a road in Tirin Kot, capital of Uruzgan province, where both NATO and US-led troops operate.

''The convoy was passing through, and all of a sudden there was an explosion, followed by at least two more, then we had to flee,'' said Ahmad Shah, a local resident.

Spokesmen for NATO and the US military could not be contacted immediately.

Villagers in Garmser district of Helmand, a province teeming with Taliban fighters and drug runners, said NATO troops clashed with gunmen on Friday, but gave no other details.

After a lull through the harsh Afghan winter, Taliban attacks have become more frequent, possibly marking the start of a feared spring offensive.

Last year, Afghanistan suffered more violence than it had seen since U.S.-led troops overthrew the Taliban government in 2001. More than 4,000 people, a quarter of them civilians, but also nearly 170 foreign troops were killed in 2006.

REUTERS SHB RAI1228