KABUL – Militants in eastern Afghanistan killed two US soldiers on Saturday, hours after defence secretary Leon Panetta had criticised President Hamid Karzai for failing to recognise the sacrifice of Nato forces.

The soldiers, who were members of a special-operations team, died in a fire-fight in Wardak province, south-west of Kabul. Their deaths bring the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this year to 296, including at least 257 Americans.
More than 2,000 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began in October 2001. Tensions between the two countries have worsened amid a spate of “green on blue” attacks, in which members of Nato forces have been killed.
 by insurgents posing as Afghan police or members of the home-trained security force.