Taleban fighters have claimed responsibility for a roadside bomb which has killed three Nato soldiers and wounded a fourth in eastern Afghanistan today.

The roadside bomb hit the military vehicle while it was on patrol in the remote and rugged Nuristan province, near to the border with Pakistan.

Two soldiers were killed at the scene and the others were taken to a US military facility in Asadabad in the neighbouring Kunar province, where one later died.

Nato has not released the nationalities of the soldiers, but the majority of troops based in eastern Afghanistan are from the United States.

Mullah Dadullah, a leading Taleban commander, said that the device was triggered by remote control.

Violence in Afghanistan has escalated in recent months, particularly in southern and eastern provinces. Militants have been increasingly using roadside and suicide bombs in their attacks against Western and Afghan security forces.

Yesterday, Nato troops fought insurgents in southern Afghanistan in a battle that raged for six hours and killed 55 militants and one Nato soldier from the alliance's International Security Assistance Force. Up to 20 militants were also wounded in the battle in the Zabul province.

The nationality of the soldier killed yesterday was also not released, although many of the coalition troops in Zabul are also American.

Meanwhile today, in the Ghazni province, a suicide attacker detonated explosives outside the Andar district police chief's office, killing one officer and wounding another. Two Nato soldiers were also injured in the explosion. The attacker blew himself up when he was stopped by police from entering the offices.

Nato has about 31,000 troops under its command in Afghanistan, which is the biggest ground operation undertaken by the alliance in its history.

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