KABUL, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- One US soldier was killed, another was injured Sunday during a firefight with suspected Taliban in Afghanistan's southern province of Zabul, US military said Monday.

    "The unit was conducting offensive operations with Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers near Shinkay area of Zabul when they were attacked with small arms and fragmentation grenades," it saidin a news release.

    "The wounded soldier was medically evacuated to a nearby forward operating base for treatment and is currently in stable condition," it added.

    Afghan and US forces are continuing to search the area for those responsible for the attack, and the name and unit of the dead soldier are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

    The death brings to 81 the number of US soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan this year, the bloodiest one since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.

    A US soldier was killed Friday by an explosion in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Earlier this month, one US soldier was killed by insurgents in another southern province of Kandahar.

    Taliban's remnants that failed to derail the landmark Sept. 18 Afghan parliamentary elections have vowed to continue Jihad, or holy war, until the US-dominated foreign troops leave Afghanistan.Enditem