U.S. soldier wounded by shrapnel in attack in southern Afghanistan

Friday, September 10th 2004, 9:13 am

By: News On 6

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ Suspected Taliban attacked a U.S. patrol with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and small arms fire, wounding one American soldier before fleeing, the U.S. military said Friday.

The militants used an assortment of weapons in the Thursday night assault in Uruzgan province, but fled when the American patrols returned fire, the military said.

The soldier, whose name was not released, was taken to a coalition hospital at a base in the southern city of Kandahar, where he was in stable condition.

The former Taliban regime has vowed to step up attacks throughout the country ahead of landmark national elections scheduled for Oct. 9.