Around 60 Taliban militants were killed today in a battle in an area protected by British troops, according to officials.

THE Afghan police have ordered 7,000 officers onto the streets of Kabul to guard against attacks on senior leaders during Independence Day celebrations today, responding to signs of the Taliban’s growing strength near the capital.

Twenty-four Taliban militants died in clashes with Afghan and foreign troops in southern Afghanistan it was revealed today. The insurgents were believed to be responsible for an attack on a road-building project days earlier.