Kabul - A Taliban commander was killed in Logar province in central Afghanistan in a joint

Korengal Valley, Afghanistan  - Minutes after the US Army Humvee leaves its mountain base, 7.62-millimetre bullets tear into the hood and turret until one finally hits driver Alex Goduti's windshield panel dead centre.

The reinforced glass withstands the impact but the next round or two at most will shatter it, so he slams the vehicle in reverse and sends it lurching back up the track.

"I'm so lucky," the startled 20-year-old tells his buddies, staring at the cobweb of cracks on the pane before his face, while a reporter filming from the back seat wonders at the speedy materialization of his story.

Washington, Dec. 9 : The United States has downplayed the two insurgent attacks on NATO military depots in Pakistan, describing the assaults as having an "insignificant" impact on the overall US and NATO military effort in Afghanistan.

"The overall impact on our logistical efforts to re-supply US forces, NATO forces, ISAF forces as well as Afghan forces has been small and has had an overall insignificant impact to date," the Daily Times quoted Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, as saying.

"That said, we constantly are reviewing and adjusting our security procedures based on our own assessments of the environment. We are looking at ways to mitigate the effect of these attacks," he added.

Kabul , Dec 8 : An international think tank has said that the Taliban holds a permanent presence in 72 percent of Afghanistan, but NATO denied the observation, saying the figures were not credible. It said it was impossible for militants to control large parts of the country.

The findings by the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) come in the wake of a series of critical reports on Western-led military and development efforts to put an end to the seven-year Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, The News reported.

Islamabad  - Pakistani insurgents on Monday torched more than 50 trucks carrying supplies for US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, police said.

The pre-dawn attack took place on the periphery of Peshawar city, where hundreds of militants on Sunday raided two parking bays for NATO-bound lorries and set ablaze around 150 vehicles and cargo containers, some loaded with armoured Humvees for the US military.

Kabul  - Twelve Taliban militants were killed in clashes with police and US forces on Saturday, while five Afghan soldiers were killed in roadside bomb attacks around Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

A group of Taliban fighters attacked a police post in Geriskh district of southern Helmand province on Saturday night, Daoud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor said.