90 Taliban fighters killed in Afghanistan: Police

Kabul, March 24 (IANS) More than 100 people, including 13 civilians, have been killed as government forces and Taliban fighters intensified operations over control of Talawka area in Afghanistan's Kunduz city, police said on Sunday.

Police officer Abdul Baqi Nuristani told the media that more than 90 Taliban fighters had been killed and 30 others injured since Thursday in and around Talawka, reports Xinhua news agency.

Talawka is a strategically important neighbourhood on the outskirts of Kunduz city and the Taliban militants have been attempting to overrun the area and get access to the provincial capital.

"More than 90 armed rebels including 12 foreign fighters have been killed and the government forces have captured and destroyed Taliban training centres in Talawka and adjoining areas," the officer said.

Two US soldiers were killed in Talawkar on Friday after military operations were intensified.

The police officer admitted that 18 civilians were killed and injured in fighting for control of Talawka, but he could not give exact figure.

A local official said on the condition of anonymity that the dead civilians included women and children.

Nuristani said: "Ten security personnel were martyred during the operations."

According to Nuristani, the operations would last until the area is cleansed of the militants.

However, Zabihullah Majahid, a purported spokesman of the Taliban outfit, rejected the claim, saying a majority of those killed in fighting were civilians.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)