Separately, US-led troops killed two suspected insurgents in clashes on Monday in southern Afghanistan, as foreign and Afghan forces conducted three new operations to hunt for remnants of the ousted regime, AFP reported. US Lt Col Jerry O'Hara said the two were killed in Dai Chopan, a troubled district in southern Zabul province after attacking US troops. "Two insurgents were killed and the others fled the area," he added.The operation, dubbed Nam Dong II, was launched last week focusing on south-central Afghanistan, considered a Taliban stronghold, he said. Coalition forces and Afghan troops launched two separate operations aimed at eliminating militants, the military said in a statement. "Operations Celtic and Markham are also intended to root insurgents out of known safe-havens," the statement said, referring to the country's south and southeastern regions, where the militants are most active. O'Hara said that the operations were led by Afghan forces and that the US-led coalition forces were providing assistance. He did not say how many soldiers were involved in the operation, citing security reasons.