Gul Islam Seyal, a spokesman for the governor of Zabul Province, said six other soldiers were wounded in the attacks in the Shamulzayi district on May 16.

In response, the Afghan Air Force attacked several Taliban hideouts in the south of the country, killing 37 militants, the Afghan Defense Ministry said.

The barren, sparsely-populated province is a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan, where the militants have been waging a 17-year insurgency.

The government's control barely goes beyond the provincial capital, Qalat, with the Taliban contesting or controlling most of Zabul, which shares a border with Pakistan.

The Taliban has continued attacks against Afghan and foreign troops despite holding several rounds of peace talks with the United States in Qatar.

The sides have made progress but have not reached a final agreement on ending the war.

With reporting by dpa