Afghan troops, ISAF kill over 15 insurgents in E. Afghanistan

Afghan and ISAF soldiers killed between 15 and 20 insurgents in the eastern Paktika province on Tuesday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF) said in a statement.

The insurgents were killed near an ISAF base in Bermel area in the morning when the joint force launched a counter-attack.

"The counter-attack was in response to an enemy attack upon an ISAF checkpoint with the joint force using attack helicopters and indirect fire support to effectively suppress insurgent positions, " the statement said.

One Afghan solider was killed and two ISAF soldiers received minor injuries in the conflict, it added.

Maj. Matthew Hackathorn, an ISAF spokesman, said, "We are steadfast in our commitment to bring security and development to eastern Afghanistan."

Paktika, a mountainous region, has been a hotbed of Taliban and other militants, who clash with government and foreign troops frequently.

Also on Tuesday, ISAF and the U.S.-led coalition troops killed a known Taliban leader and at least 10 other Taliban militants near Bagh-Khosak in the Khod Valley in the southern Uruzgan province.

Due to rising Taliban-linked violence this year, Afghanistan has plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed since the Taliban regime was toppled nearly five years ago.

Over 2,400 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in this volatile country this year.

Source: Xinhua