Afghan, NATO forces kill 50 Taliban

KABUL—Afghan and NATO-forces killed and wounded more than 50 Taliban insurgents in a large operation in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Afghan and mainly Western forces are struggling to contain a Taliban insurgency based in the south and east which is hampering reconstruction and aid efforts and undermining faith in the government of President Hamid Karzai.
Sunday’s clash, in the south-central province of Uruzgan, comes as troops from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan forces are conducting a large offensive in the area against Taliban rebels.
“This is part of the Spin Ghar operation which began on Thursday,” said Defence Ministry spokesman Zaher Murad. “We don’t know exactly how many insurgents were killed, their bodies are still on the battlefield.”
He said Afghan and ISAF forces fought the insurgents on the ground and called in air strikes to defeat the rebels. There were no Afghan government or ISAF casualties, he said.
Several dozen Taliban were killed in the fighting, an ISAF spokesman said. Thirteen insurgents were also captured, Murad said. Dutch and Australian troops form the bulk of ISAF forces in Uruzgan.—Agencies