Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops during a search operation for a Taliban commander on Wednesday killed 12 militants including the commander in Afghanistan's Logar province south of Afghan capital Kabul, the military alliance said in a press release on Thursday.
"Taliban commander, Qari Muir, formerly held several Taliban positions including deputy shadow governor, military commander and intelligence chief for Logar province, but during the operation, 12 Taliban insurgents including Muir were killed," the press release said, Xinhua reported.
The operation launched after intelligence sources observed a large gathering of Taliban insurgents in the vicinity of Pul-e- Alam district preparing to conduct an attack against coalition forces, the press release added.
"After ensuring no civilians were present, an air weapons team engaged the group, killing nine insurgents," it stated, adding " Coalition forces then conducted a precision air strike and air assault on the objective location killing three more insurgents and destroying a very large weapons cache,"it further said.
Located 60 km south of capital city Kabul, Logar has been experiencing Taliban-linked increasing insurgency over the past couple of years.
The hardliner militias abducted and killed two U.S. service members with the ISAF weeks ago there in Logar province.
Taliban fighters, who were ousted from power in U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, have yet to make comments.
Militants loyal to Taliban have intensified their activities as an insurgent vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack killed five people including a police chief Wednesday in southern Afghanistan's restive province of Kandahar.
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