Afghan and US ground troops backed up by attack helicopters raided a Taleban camp in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, killing nine suspected militants, Afghan officials and the US military said yesterday. The camp in Uruzgan province had been used as a base by about 80 insurgents to launch guerrilla-style assaults on Afghan and US-led coalition forces in the area, said provincial Gov. Jan Mohammed Khan. The rest of the rebels fled during Tuesday’s attack on the camp, which had been set up in several adjoining mountain caves, he said. American helicopters pounded the site with rockets before ground forces moved in. Several AK-47 assault rifles, rockets, as well as tents, kettles and other camping equipment were scattered around the area, the governor said. A US military statement said nine suspected militants were killed.Separate fighting also broke out in Asadabad town, eastern Kunar province, when five suspected rebels tried to attack a joint patrol by Afghan troops and US Marines, the statement said. It said an assessment of the battle was ongoing and it wasn’t clear how many militants were killed. No Afghan or US troops were hurt in either battles, it said. US and local officials have said they fear the rebels are intent on subverting the polls and have warned that a major upsurge in violence in recent months may further worsen in the next few weeks. A Taleban spokesman confirmed the latest fighting but, speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location, said 12 Afghan government troops and US soldiers had been killed.