KABUL – Two US troops have been wounded during a clash withTaliban insurgents in the Jalrez district of central Maidan Wardakprovince, officials said Wednesday.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, US forces Afghanistanlink, told Pajhwok Afghan Newsthe clash took place on the outskirts of Jalrez district center on Monday.

He said Afghan and US forces were on a patrol in the area when they cameunder attack from Taliban snipers hiding in a building previously used asschool.

“A dismounted, Afghan-led and US-advised patrol was engaged by a three-man,Taliban sniper team in Jalrez district on July 15,” he said.

O’Donnell added: “The patrol, acting in self-defense, directed a strikeagainst the sniper team who was firing upon from a vacant building, aformer school. Two US service members were injured in the incident.”

On the other hand, Maidan Wardak governor’s spokesman, Abdul Rahman Mangal,also confirmed the incident and said the Taliban militants fired on the USforces from an agriculture link schoolin Ziolat area.

He said two US forces were injured in the incident but militants alsosuffered casualties and the building was partially destroyed in retaliatoryattack.

Civilians suffered no casualties in the incident, Mangal said.

Sharifullah Hottak, a provincial council member, on his Facebook page wrotethat the agriculture school building consumed a high amount of money but itwas destroyed in an airstrike.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.