NATO attack kills 20 Afghan Taliban

TALIQAN, Afghanistan, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Afghan and NATO forces struck a Taliban unit, killing 20 rebel fighters in the northeast of the country, a provincial official in Afghanistan said Thursday.

Those killed in the overnight joint operation in Takhar Province included two commanders. More than a dozen others were captured, provincial spokesman Faiz Mohammad Tawhidi told China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

"The combined forces conducted overnight operation against Taliban hideouts in Darquad and Yangi Qala districts Wednesday night. As a result, some 20 militants, including two Taliban commanders, namely Mawlawi Jawadullah and Malawi Nazikmir, were killed," he said.

A NATO statement released Thursday said the attack was an airstrike followed by a ground operation.

The Taliban have not commented on the incident.

Takhar and other northern regions had been fairly peaceful until Taliban activity increased this year. Afghan and multinational forces killed three suspected insurgents and detained several more Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said.

The allied force was conducting a route-clearing operation in Kandahar province when it spotted a group of military-aged men carrying weapons, the U.S. military said.