Afghan troops raid Taliban base in southern Afghanistan

One Taliban commander has been arrested, two militants killed during Afghan troops' raid on a Taliban base in the southern province of Zabul, an Afghan official said Tuesday.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police on Monday launched the joint operation in the mountain area between Nawbahar and Shinkai districts of the province after they received a report from intelligence services, Gulabshah Alikhel, spokesman of Zabul governor, told Xinhua.

Taliban was based in that area where Afghan troops found satellite phones, PK machine guns and motorcycles, said Alikhel.

Mulah Safar, area commander of Taliban was arrested while others escaped from the site, he added. An investigation was underway.

In the eastern province of Paktiya, at least 28 Taliban militants were killed Sunday night during an encounter with ANA.

Taliban militants, who failed to destroy the landmark parliamentary elections on Sept. 18, have vowed to drive all the US-dominated foreign troops out of Afghanistan, and intensified their attacks against Afghan and foreign troops.

Over 1,200 people with a majority of them militants, according to official sources, have been killed in Taliban-led insurgency against some 20,000-strong US-led foreign troops and 30,000 fledgling Afghan National Army (ANA) since the beginning of this year.

Source: Xinhua