The US-led coalition in Afghanistan says seven children have been killed in an air strike on a suspected Al Qaeda safe house in eastern Afghanistan that also left several militants dead.

Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has struck near a NATO convoy in the capital, Kabul, killing four civilians. Officials say five other people, including one foreigner, were wounded when the bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a line of vehicles in western Kabul Saturday.

The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan says more than 24 suspected Taleban militants and six civilians were killed in clashes and attacks in southern Afghanistan.

NATO defense ministers agreed in Brussels on June 14-15 to step up the training of Afghan security forces and on measures to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan. NATO is increasingly faced with a dilemma in Afghanistan.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says security in Afghanistan has deteriorated over the last year, with civilians bearing the brunt of a rise in violence between international forces and insurgents.

British and U.S. forces in southern Afghanistan have not yet been able to claim success on their key stated objective despite a major NATO offensive against the Taliban.

The U.S. military says coalition forces and Afghan police backed by coalition warplanes killed more than 20 suspected Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan.

The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan says the international community is not doing enough to provide troops and a coordinated reconstruction effort to help stabilize the country. American McNeill spoke from Afghanistan with reporters at the Pentagon, and VOA's Al Pessin reports.

The head of the Afghan National Army, Bismullah Khan, said during a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates that Afghanistan has asked Washington to provide more military equipment to its army and accelerate training.

U.S. and Afghan forces in Eastern Afghanistan have killed at least six suspected insurgents. Violent attacks are on the rise throughout much of Afghanistan, including areas previously considered relatively secure.

NATO's top commander in Afghanistan has confirmed that a battle between U.S. forces and Taliban in southern Afghanistan resulted in civilian casualties.

NATO's secretary-general says there are no plans for NATO troops to pull out of Afghanistan. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is discussing regional security with leaders of Pakistan, which says it has increased troops along its border to help curb terrorist activity in neighboring Afghanistan.