KABUL, May 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Two Afghan soldiers have been killed and five others injured as their vehicle ran over a mine in southern Zabul province, a statement of US-led coalition said Monday.

    "Two Afghan security forces soldiers lost their lives and another five were wounded on May 14 when their vehicle hit a mine placed by insurgents near Qalat," the statement said.

    All the wounded soldiers, the statement added, had been taken to a US military health center at Kandahar airfield for treatment.

    It gave no more details, but the Afghan forces and the US-led coalition troops are currently engaged in clean-up operations in the mountainous and troubled southern region.

    Zabul and the neighboring provinces of Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan, the birthplace of Taliban, has been the scene of increasing militancy over the past two months in which more than 100 people including militants, Afghans and US troops have been killed. Enditem