18 militants killed in Afghanistan

KABUL - The NATO-led troops eliminated 18 Taliban militants including two commanders in Afghanistan’s southern Zabul province, police said Saturday.

“Acting on intelligence reports the international troops pounded militants’ hideouts in Shar-e-Safa area of the province Friday night killing 18 rebels including two group commanders Mullah Toorjan and Mullah Ahmad Shah on the spot,” Ghulam Jilani Farahi, deputy to provincial police chief, told Xinhua.

He did not give more details.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops are yet to make comments.

Southern and eastern parts of the post-Taliban Afghanistan have been the scene of increasing Taliban-led insurgency over the past couple of years.