36 Taliban killed in clashes with NATO forces

Clashes and NATO airstrikes killed at least 36 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's south as militant attacks left a NATO soldier dead and five others wounded, officials said Wednesday. Two roadside bombs also killed three Afghan civilians on Wednesday. Eighteen suspected Taliban were killed in a clash with police Wednesday in the southern Zabul province, police said. Militants also attacked an Afghan army patrol in Zabul, killing a soldier and wounding four, a Defense Ministry statement said. NATO warplanes responded to Tuesday's ambush, bombing a Taliban position and killing seven fighters.