Afghan, Coalition Troops Seize Suspected Bomber

Afghan and U.S.-led coalition troops say they have captured a senior insurgent commander in a raid on a suspected insurgent cell in northern Afghanistan.

A joint statement from the Afghan and U.S. militaries says security forces detained Mullah Dahoud with no resistance during the early morning raid Tuesday in Baghlan province. The statement says the troops entered what is believed to be the home of Dahoud and a transit point for insurgent fighters, without firing any shots.

The statement says Dahoud is suspected of involvement in a deadly October attack in Baghlan and the 2007 bombing of a sugar factory, which killed more than 50 people.

Separately, the NATO-led force in Afghanistan says one of its soldiers died Wednesday in an insurgent attack in the country's east. NATO did not release the victim's nationality, or say how the soldier was killed.

About 70,000 international forces are in Afghanistan fighting a Taliban insurgency that has raged since the United States pushed the group from power in 2001.

The U.S. is planning to deploy about 30,000 extra troops to the country next year to try to get control of the situation.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that his country is ready to support the foreign troops in their fight against terrorism, but that they must prevent civilian casualties.

The killing of civilians by foreign forces has stirred outrage in the country.