Two US soldiers and at least five militants were killed in a clash in central Afghanistan on Thursday, the US military said.
The clash in Uruzgan province, south of the capital Kabul, occurred as US forces in Afghanistan stepped up their hunt for Taleban and al Qaeda militants, including Osama bin Laden.
US and Afghan soldiers came under fire from "anti-coalition militia" while on patrol in a village, the US military said in a statement.
"The soldiers returned fire, killing at least five terrorists and wounding others," it said. Two US soldiers were wounded.
US forces in the south and east of Afghanistan have been hunting for al Qaeda and other militants.