14 militants killed in N. Afghan airstrike

Fourteen Taliban militants, including a militants’ divisional commander, were killed in an airstrike in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province, local police said Tuesday.

The sortie was launched by Afghan Air Force late on Monday against a hideout belonging to Taliban militants in Qarluq, an area in Archi district of Kunduz, resulting in the death of 14 militants, provincial police said in a statement.

Those among the killed militants was Ezatullah, known as Hamza, one of the outfit key local commanders and two of his close subordinates, according to the statement.

The slain militants have been involved in a series of anti-government activities leading to the destruction of the district office building, military compound and other public facilities in the turbulent district, the statement added.

The Afghan security forces have recently beefed up security operations against the Taliban militants who have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions in the countryside ahead of winter.

The militant group has not made a comment on the report so far.