Afghan forces kill 25 Taliban militants: official

Kamdesh District in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces have killed 25 Taliban militants over the past two days in Nuristan province, 180 km east of capital city Kabul, spokesman for provincial administration Mohammad Zarin said Friday.

"In the operation backed by NATO-led forces and launched against Taliban in Kamdish district on Thursday, so far 25 insurgents have been killed," Zarin told Xinhua.

Meantime, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from unknown location confirmed the fighting but insisted 30 Afghan and foreign forces had been killed, a claim rejected by Zarin as baseless.

Mujahid also stated that eight Taliban fighters had been killed in the battle.

The mountainous Kamdish district has been under mounting pressure by Taliban over the past couple of weeks; while Afghan government is trying to ensure lasting peace there.

Posted in: Afghan National Army, Afghanistan, Nuristan Province, Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid