11 Taliban killed in airstrike

Afghan police clashed with Taliban militants today in eastern Afghanistan, and a subsequent Nato airstrike left 11 insurgents dead, officials said. Three police were wounded in the fighting.

The police and Taliban engaged in a one-hour gun battle in the Alishar district of Khost province, said Wazir Padshah, a spokesman for the provincial police. He said Nato assisted with an airstrike, killing 11 militants.

Lt. Col. Angela Billings, spokeswoman for Nato’s International Security Assistance Force, confirmed that Nato launched an airstrike early today, causing some insurgent casualties. She said there were no Nato or civilian casualties.

Separately, a Nato service member was found dead in his barracks room on Friday afternoon, said an ISAF statement issued from Bagram Air Base, north of Kabul. The statement, issued today, did not give any further details and said the cause of death was under investigation.