6 Taliban militants, 3 Afghan troopers killed in E Afghanistan

A gun battle between Afghan-International forces and Taliban fighters left six insurgents dead in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan, provincial police chief said on Sunday.

"Taliban attacked a military outpost of Afghan and the NATO-led peacekeeping troops in Nurgraham district Saturday night, and troops returned fire, killing six rebels including their commander Mullah Abdul Qadir on the spot," Mohammad Qasim Payman told Xinhua.

Mullah Qadir was recently appointed as district chief in Nurgraham by the Taliban outfit, he added.

In a separate incident, three Afghan National Army soldiers were killed and two others wounded as their military camp came under heavy fire of militants in Ghazi Abad district of Nuristan, according to a statement issued by the Afghan Defense Ministry on Sunday.

The statement did not mention the exact time of the attack, only saying "The attack took place in the last 24 hours."

Taliban militants, whose regime was toppled by U.S.-led coalition forces in late 2001, have yet to make comments.

Source:Xinhua