US airstrikes kill 16 Taliban militants in Afghanistan

Kabul, Sep 30: At least 16 Taliban militants, including their chief Maulavi Salam, were killed in US airstikes in Afghanistan's Kunduz province, country's intelligence agency said on Wednesday.

"Taliban chief Maulavi Salam, who was actively coordinating the attack in Kunduz city, along with 15 other militants, was killed in an airstike in Kunduz," Khaama press cited the National Directorate for Security (NDS) statement.

The air attack was conducted in close coordination with the NDS, the statement said but did not disclose the exact time of the raid.

The attack came two days after Taliban took full control of the provincial capital Kunduz city, some 250 km north of Kabul.

On Tuesday, thousands of Afghan forces prepared to retake the city while the US forces conducted several air strikes on Taliban positions on the outskirts of the strategically important city.

The Taliban have intensified attacks over the past couple of months as the Afghan security forces assumed the full security responsibilities from NATO-led troops since January 1.

IANS