25 insurgents, 1 civilian killed in S. Afghanistan

Twenty-five militants and one civilian were killed on Wednesday in the southern Uruzgan province of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement received on Friday.

A joint ISAF and Afghan National Army (ANA) patrol was attacked near Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital, it said, adding ISAF forces are reported to have been struck by a roadside bomb before being engaged by small arms fire.

Twenty-five insurgents were killed in the following conflict, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, and a number of ANA soldiers were injured.

One local Afghan civilian was killed in the crossfire and seven others were injured, the statement said, adding there were no ISAF casualties.

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 this year in this volatile country.

Source: Xinhua