60 Taliban militants killed in air strikes

US ARTILLERY and air strikes killed between 50 and 60 suspected Taliban militants yesterday, the fourth day of a Nato-led offensive in southern Afghanistan, a Nato spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s government and pro-Taliban militants signed an agreement to ensure “permanent peace” in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, seeking to end five years of violent unrest in the area.

The US troops, operating under Nato command, clashed with the militants in Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, where an offensive began over the weekend to flush out hundreds of Taliban fighters. Nato has already reported more than 200 Taliban killed in the operation.