Dozens of militants, 7 civilians killed

Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between Afghan forces and militants who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent bastion of Kandahar, officials said yesterday. 

Taliban militants attacked checkpoints in five districts surrounding the city of Kandahar, which Afghan forces countered with heavy air and ground assaults, the ministry of defence said in a statement.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

"The security forces repulsed the attack, killing 51 terrorists and wounding nine," the ministry said, without offering details of any casualties among government forces.

Seven members of a family were also killed in an Afghan air strike in one of the districts, a local official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"The Afghan air force wanted to target a car filled with explosives... when they hit the car it detonated and caused civilian fatalities," he said. The ministry of defence said it was investigating the incident. 

The southern province of Kandahar is the birthplace of the hardline Islamist movement.

Since a US-Taliban deal in February, the insurgents have not carried out major attacks on key cities but have launched near-daily assaults against Afghan forces in rural areas.

The surge in violence in recent months comes as the Taliban and Afghan government engage in peace talks. The negotiations started on September 12 in the Qatari capital of Doha, but on Saturday the two sides announced a pause until January 5.