9 Taliban killed in Afghanistan

The US-led coalition announced meanwhile that it had arrested three "suspected terrorists" in a pre-dawn raid in the eastern province of Khost that was aimed at capturing a "known al-Qaeda facilitator".

British troops spotted insurgents moving into place for an attack in Helmand province late Monday and "initiated an overwhelming response using high explosive ammunition", the International Security Assistance Force said.

The strike was in Nowzad district, where an Isaf air strike on Sunday killed another nine other rebels including a man believed to have been a key insurgent organiser.