Local Taliban leader killed in Afghanistan

A local Taliban leader and five Taliban insurgents were killed after the Afghan army launched an operation in the province of Uruzgan, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday.

"A Taliban local leader named Bismillah along with four insurgents was killed during a military operation in Dihrawud district on Saturday," Xinhua news agency cited a ministry statement as saying.

The raid was launched based on a tip-off and the insurgents exchanged fire with the security forces, leaving five dead, the statement said.

The Uruzgan province has been the scene of heavy clashes between Taliban and Afghan troops over the past couple of months.

The Afghan security forces had beefed up security operations recently as militants were attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions ahead of winter in the mountainous country.

--IANS

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