Afghan, Nato troops kill 25 Taliban men

Herat (Afghanistan), July 3: Afghan and Nato-led forces killed 25 Taliban militants in a 10-hour gun battle in western Afghanistan, a provincial police chief said on Thursday. The militants were killed in Muqur district in Badghis province on Wednesday during a joint clean-up operation by Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the Afghan Army and the police, Mr Mohammed Ayob Niazyar said.

"At least 25 Taliban were killed and many were wounded in several hours of fighting after the Taliban attacked our troops," Mr Niazyar said.

He said the clash started on Wednesday afternoon and lasted till midnight. No Nato and Afghan forces were wounded in the fighting.The clean-up operation was conducted by Afghan Army and the police force supported by Spanish ISAF troops, Mr Niazyar said.

There was no immediate comment from ISAF. Badghis is an isolated rural province where Taliban attacks are relatively uncommon compared with almost daily rebel strikes in southern parts of the country. The ultra-Islamic militia were ousted from power by a US-led invasion of Afghanistan. —AFP

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‘PPP is not taking us in confidence’

By OUR PAKISTAN CORRESPONDENT

ISLAMABAD

July 3: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that his party has not been taken into confidence regarding the ongoing operations in the tribal areas and Peshawar.

"We have not been taken into confidence on this issue (operation) and also they (the PPP) have not consulted us on other major issues like hike in petrol prices," he told reporters here before leaving for London.

Mr Sharif said that "not a single party but the Parliament has to decide the issues related to the national policy".

He stressed that policies should be derived after mutual consensus among the collation partners.

Mr Sharif said that the PML(N) is supporting the PPP-led government keeping all its reservations aside as it does not want to strengthen dictatorship in the country.

Mr Nawaz Sharif has left for London to meet his family and to take care of his ill wife who is hospitalised in London.