U.S.-led troops detain 6 in Afghan raids

U.S.-led troops killed one suspected militant and detained six others, including one with alleged links to fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar, in a string of raids in eastern Afghanistan, the American military said Friday.

Troops from the U.S.-dominated coalition and Afghan soldiers detained two of the militants in a raid on Wednesday near the eastern city of Jalalabad, a coalition statement said.

The pair had "ties to suicide attacks and heroin production," the statement said. "At least one suspect is believed to have ties to reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and has been involved in anti-government and anti-coalition activities in southern and eastern Afghanistan."

It did not give their names or elaborate on the link to Omar.

Further south, coalition and Afghan troops killed a man and detained four other suspected militants "after they refused requests for peaceful surrender" during a raid in Paktika province on Wednesday, a separate statement said.

The man was shot and killed for "displaying a hostile intent toward the combined force," it said.

Raids in three eastern provinces also turned up three weapons and ammunition caches, containing rockets, mortars and 11 cases of anti-aircraft artillery rounds, the coalition said.

Afghanistan is bracing for a renewed fighting season as warmer weather melts snow in the mountains, making it easier for militants to move around.

Last year some 4,000 people died _ mostly militants _ in clashes with U.S. and other NATO forces, particularly in Afghanistan's south and east. It was the worst bout of violence to rock the country since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban regime in 2001.

The new violence and incidents came as President Bush said that NATO allies need to supply more soldiers to Afghanistan and be willing to send them into the most dangerous areas.

"When our commanders on the ground say to our respective countries 'We need additional help,' our NATO countries must provide it," Bush said in a speech Thursday.

Officials in countries including Canada, Britain, the United States have been irked by the reluctance of some European allies to commit extra troops to the 35,500-strong NATO-led force, and in particular to allow their troops to be deployed in the dangerous south and east.

"Allies must lift restrictions on the forces they do provide so NATO commanders have the flexibility they need to defeat the enemy wherever the enemy may make a stand," Bush said.