BAGRAM, Afghanistan – Four U.S. special forces soldiers suffered minor wounds after their patrol was attacked by rebel forces in a frontier area, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
The wounded were treated and returned to duty after the one-hour clash last Wednesday near their base in Orgun, 105 miles south of the capital, Kabul (search), in Paktika province, said spokesman Col. Rodney Davis (search).
The coalition troops were attacked with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades and called in aircraft to help repel the assault before opposing forces retreated, Davis said. The number of rebel casualties was unknown. It was not clear why the military waited six days to report the injuries.
Meanwhile, rockets fired Monday at U.S. bases in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces failed to cause any injuries or damage, Davis said.
Remnants of the Taliban (search) and Al Qaeda (search) have mounted increasing attacks in recent months, often focused on border areas. The Afghan government says they are operating from bases in neighboring Pakistan.
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