The US ambassador in Kabul said yesterday that Washington backed the Afghan government's efforts to reconcile with Taliban and other rebels without power-sharing or ceding control of certain areas.

Attacks by coalition and Afghan forces have killed more than 10 Taliban in Afghanistan.

Faridullah Khan, deputy provincial police chief of the southern province of Zabul, says nine Taliban were killed in airstrikes after militants launched an early morning attack on an army convoy.

Khan says two Afghan army vehicles were damaged in the Thursday morning fight and that six Taliban motorbikes and several rocket-propelled grenades were discovered after the battle.

Elsewhere, the US-led coalition said in a statement that "several militants" were killed and five detained on Wednesday during an operation in Helmand province that targeted a Taliban leader associated with the murder of government officials.

There is mounting debate in Afghan political circles and media about peace talks with militants, notably former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of

the radical Hezb-i-lslami faction.

The United States supported Kabul's peace talks with rebels who were not guilty of the "most serious crimes" and willing to accept the government and rule of law. ambassador William Wood told reporters.

However, he added: "We don't believe and I don't think the government itself has any interest in allowing anybody to shoot his wav into preferred status, either (for) a share of power or control (of) a locality or anything like that. "

He would not comment on reports that Hekmatyar, who has a multi-million-dollar US bounty on his head, was already in talks with government and opposition officials.

"But with the exception of al-Qaeda and those closely associated with al-Qaeda, we think this is completely an issue for Afghanistan." hesaid.

The ambassador said there were "signs" of fracturing within the Taliban, including rapid changes in their chain of command and dis tancing between factions.

"I think that there arc large segments bl the Taliban who are genuinely unhappy with the turn toward terrorism of the larger organisation," hesaid.