The U.S.-led Coalition forces killed four suspected al-Qaida militants during an early morning raid in east Afghanistan on Monday, said the military.

The operation was launched in Khost Province near the village of Pelan Kheyl, Coalition said in a news release.

Coalition soldiers also detained three suspected militants and destroyed a weapons cache during the raid.

Three suspects are being questioned regarding their participation in al-Qaida activities, it added. But it still unknown if the al-Qaida operational leader has been detained or killed.

Hundreds of al-Qaida activists are believed to hide in the eastern provinces close to Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where the U.S.-led Coalition forces have launched a massive offensive the Operation Mountain Lion since April.

Source: Xinhua