KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban insurgents killed 10 Afghan troops in an ambush in western Herat province, police and government officials said today.

A spokesman for the provincial governor, Muhiudin Noori, said the Afghan troops — which included both soldiers and police — were searching late Monday for a group of insurgents who had earlier set up a roadblock, stopping and seizing passing vehicles, when they were ambushed.

Five policemen, including the district commander and five soldiers died in the ensuing firefight, Noori said. There were no insurgent casualties, but police later arrested 25 suspects found in the area, he said.

Also today, an American service member was killed in an insurgent attack in the east, the U.S. military said in a statement. It did not provide further details about the attack. The latest death makes at least 12 American service members killed so far this month and 265 killed so far this year.

The Herat ambush was the bloodiest single incident for Afghan security forces this year in western Afghanistan.

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