U.S. military officials in Afghanistan say coalition troops have killed three Taleban militants, including a top commander, during a firefight in southeastern Paktika province, near the Pakistani border.

The officials say an Afghan woman and two children were also killed in the gunfight that broke out late Tuesday when coalition troops tried to arrest the militants who were hiding in a village.

The military says among the dead was Taleban commander Raz Mohammed, who was implicated in several attacks against coalition forces.

Wednesday, five suspected insurgents were killed in a clash with U.S. troops in nearby Khost province.

U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan are hunting Taleban loyalists who have been waging a low-level insurgency since the hard-line Islamic regime was ousted in 2001.