KABUL, March 23 (Xinhuanet) -- US Coalition warplane killed five militias in the overnight exchange of fire in southeastern Afghanistan Tuesday, US military said Wednesday here.

    Militias launched five rockets at the Coalition base near Khost province while three checkpoints bordering Pakistan in Coliation's control were also under attack.

    "Coalition troops returned fire with 155 mm artillery rounds at enemy positions. Coalition aircraft killed five insurgents," aUS military statement said.

    "No Coalition soldiers were injured in either attack," it noted adding that US military is investigating the attacks and assessing the damage.

    Taliban operatives launched several attacks, including two bombattacks in Kandahar last week when US Secretary of the State Rice visited Kabul, killing one US soldier and five civilians, after Coalition commander claimed the sharp decrease of Taliban activities in 2004.

    The hard-line Taliban leader Mullah Omar vowed to continue the fight against US military presence in Afghanistan after the harsh winter is near to end before April that blocked most areas in the Taliban active south and southeast of the war-shattered country. Enditem