Kabul: At least 20 Taliban militants were killed Friday in a joint military offensive by the Afghan police and NATO troops in southern Afghanistan, an official said.

The fighting took place around 10 a.m. Friday in Jalai district of Kandahar province after the militants unsuccessfully ambushed a logistic convoy for NATO troops escorted by a US security company USPI, provincial government spokesman Zalmai Ayubi said.

"Afghan police came in reinforcement and called in NATO air strike support," Ayubi said. "Hours' firefighting left 20 militants dead and two trucks destroyed."

However, he did not provide any information about the casualties on neither police nor the security guards.

Meanwhile, Afzal Khan, a USPI staff, told Xinhua that at least one USPI security guard was killed in the clash and six more were wounded.

 

Source : ians