KABUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers of the U.S.-led coalition troops were killed and four others were injured as they came in contact with suspected Taliban militants in the restive Helmand province Wednesday bringing the number of U.S. army casualties to 13 this year, a press release of American army here said.

    "One U.S. service member and a coalition service member were killed in action and one U.S. service member, three coalition service members were wounded during an enemy attack on a forward operating base in Helmand province today," the press release added.

    One Afghan soldier also got wounded in the gun battle, the statement asserted.

    However, the U.S. military in the press release put the number of militants casualty as high as 12 saying at least a dozen enemy insurgents were killed in the incident.

    "The wounded service members and the Afghan soldiers were evacuated to a coalition medical facility in Kandahar province for treatment," noted the press release.

    In the statement the U.S. military declined to identify the victims.

    "The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin," it added.

    However, locals say that the other victims are Canadians.

    Troops of Dutch, United Kingdom, United States and Canada are stationed in the rugged southern province to root out Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

    Today's bloody battle took place just day after the President Hamid Karzai's visit to Helmand's neighboring Zabul province where hundreds of militants are said to have holed up.

    More than 230 American soldiers have lost their lives since the launching of Operation Enduring Freedom against Taliban in October 2001. Enditem