Three militants killed in Afghanistan

KABU0L: The U.S.-led coalition says its troops have killed three insurgents and detained four others during a raid in eastern Afghanistan.

The coalition says in a statement they killed the insurgents after a firefight in Paktika province on Thursday.

The statement says they were targeting an insurgent leader involved in facilitating the movement of foreign fighters and weapons throughout eastern Afghanistan.

There has been a spike in violence in Afghanistan this year, with the number of attacks 30 percent higher compared to 2007.