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Dozens of Afghan Taleban 'killed' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
About 30 Taleban fighters have been killed in a joint Nato operation in the western province of Farah, Afghan military officials say. | |
The large operation was initially led by the Afghan National Army (ANA). | |
At a later stage, Nato warplanes were called in to bomb a compound said to house Taleban fighters. | |
Meanwhile, in the capital Kabul, three Afghan civilians were killed in a suicide car bomb attack aimed at a convoy of international troops. | |
Fierce fighting | |
Afghan forces and troops from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) surrounded a compound where rebels had massed in Bala Buluk district in Farah, military officials said. | |
The ANA has been art the forefront or recent fighting | |
The army commander for western Afghanistan, Jalandar Shah Behnam, told the AFP news agency that in initial fighting, two Afghan soldiers and a policeman were killed and several were wounded. | |
"Later, Isaf air planes bombed the fort and 30 Taleban, including their ranking commanders, were killed," he said. | |
"There is no one left inside the fort." | |
The BBC's Kabul correspondent Martin Patience says fierce fighting went on for many hours in a series of different battles in Farah, which borders Iran. | |
Over recent months, there has been an increase in fighting between the Taleban and international and Afghan troops stationed in the province. | |
Often attacked | |
Meanwhile, officials in Kabul said three Afghan civilians were killed in a suicide car bomb attack aimed at a convoy of international troops in the capital. | |
Two civilians were also hurt, police said. | |
A spokesman for the US-led coalition force said none of the troops who were targeted in two military vehicles was wounded. | |
The bombing took place on a road which leads to several military bases and is often attacked by Taleban militants. | The bombing took place on a road which leads to several military bases and is often attacked by Taleban militants. |
US troops arrived quickly at the scene and the area has been cordoned off. | US troops arrived quickly at the scene and the area has been cordoned off. |
The blast blew a big crater in the road and mangled parts of the car used in the attack littered the road, an AFP journalist at the scene reported. |