A Nato air strike has killed 13 Taliban guerrillas in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Khost after the insurgents tried to attack a district government headquarters, provincial officials said today.
It was the second attack on a district headquarters in 24 hours by the Taliban, who are stepping up their insurgency against the US-backed government and foreign troops supporting it.
The air strike was called in after the Taliban attacked government headquarters in Ali Sher district, near the border with Pakistan, late last night, said Khost Governor Arsala Jamal.
"The Taliban were killed in the bombing while retreating after the attack," he told reporters in Khost town.
In a separate incident, at least six Taliban and four policemen were killed in a clash in southern Uruzgan province late on yesterday.
On Thursday night, Taliban insurgents captured a government headquarters in Giru district, 170 km southwest of Kabul, killing the top administrator, the police chief and three policemen.