4 U.S. soldiers die in clashes in Afghanistan

Four U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday and three NATO soldiers were wounded in two separate clashes in Afghanistan as the country celebrated its independence day, officials said.

Three U.S. soldiers were killed and three were wounded in fighting in the eastern province of Kunar. Officials said the Americans in that region are searching for Taliban fighters and extremists in the isolated mountains along the Pakistani border.

The other U.S. soldier who died was with NATO troops in the southern province of Uruzgan. He was killed along with an Afghan soldier in a battle with Taliban fighters.

However, in other areas of the country, thousands gathered to commemorate Afghanistan's independence from British rule in 1919.

At the Kandahar coalition base, the Canadian military presented the Afghan National Police with 400 protective vests.

In Kabul, Afghan soldiers carrying assault rifles marched together with police and sportsmen, making a procession into a stadium. Before a crowd of thousands, President Hamid Karzai said education was central to protecting the country's independence.

"Our history proves our bravery," Karzai said. "The only thing we need to keep our independence is education."

Taliban militants have targeted the country's school, torching 144 of them over the past year. Officials estimate that another 200 schools have closed because of threats made against teachers and students. More than 200,000 children have been forced to quit school because of the attacks.

Insurgents have long opposed educating girls, saying it contradicts the tenets of Islam. They also oppose government-funded schools for boys that teach secular subjects.

Afghanistan's southern provinces have been rocked by violence in recent months as Taliban fighters have increased the number and intensity of their attacks in an attempt to shake the U.S. and NATO coalition forces.