Deadly Afghan Firefight

One coalition soldier and three Afghan troops were killed in a firefight with militants in southern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said Sunday. Another 26 soldiers were wounded.

There were no immediate reports of militant casualties in the gun battle Saturday in the southern province of Kandahar, said Sgt. Chris Miller, a coalition spokesman.

One coalition and 25 Afghan soldiers were injured, Miller said. He did not identify the nationalities of either the coalition soldier who was killed or the one wounded.

The coalition soldiers were part of Task Force Phoenix, which is helping to train Afghan army soldiers, Miller said.

The firefight took place in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, which is right next to the Pakistan border.

Taliban-linked militants have stepped up attacks against coalition forces in recent months, particularly in Afghanistan's southern and eastern regions that border Pakistan.