More than 130 Taliban insurgents including 10 foreign fighters have been killed during a joint Afghan-NATO operation in Kunduz province north of Afghanistan, a local military officer Abdul Wakil Ahsas said Tuesday.
"The operation involving Afghan and international troops begun six days ago in Gortipa area has led to the elimination of 133 rebels including 10
foreign insurgents," Ahsas told Xinhua.
The foreign fighters, he added, were from Chechen and Uzbekistan.
Eight Taliban commanders are also among the dead bodies, while 15 more insurgents have been arrested, he said.
The officer said that 80 percent of Gortipa area has been secured, while search operation is going on to establish complete security in Kunduz
province.
Taliban militants have yet to make comment.
Meantime, a press release issued by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) also said that 130 insurgents had been
killed in Kunduz province.
"Afghan and international security forces conducted clearing operations Nov. 1 through 6 in the Chahar Dara district of the northern region of Kunduz province, killing more than 130 insurgents including eight Taliban commanders," the press release said.
More than 750 Afghan and International forces, according to the press release, took part in the operation to stop insurgent activity and weapons trafficking in the Chahar Dara district.
Kunduz, a relatively peaceful province until early this year, has been the scene of increasing militancy over the past several months.