23 Taliban killed in southern Afghanistan

Afghan and coalition forces killed 23 suspected Taliban fighters in a clash in southern Afghanistan, an Afghan army general said on Wednesday.

Afghan and coalition forces killed 23 suspected Taliban fighters in a clash in southern Afghanistan, an Afghan army general said on Wednesday.

HT Image

The authorities recovered the bodies and the militant's weapons after the fighting Tuesday near Tirin Kot, the capital of the southern Uruzgan province, said Gen Sher Mohammad Zazai, an army officer in charge of southern Afghanistan.

A known Taliban commander in the region, Mullah Ismail, was killed during the clash, which took place in a mountainous area, Zazai said.

Southern Afghanistan is the centre of the Taliban-led insurgency, which has made a violent comeback in the last three years. Thousands of new US troops have been pouring into the region to reverse the Taliban gains.