13 Taliban killed in Afghanistan

The fight broke out Wednesday on the first day of a joint air and ground operation between coalition and Afghan forces in a district of the southern province of Kandahar, provincial government spokesman Khalid Pashtun said.

Eight suspected Taliban were captured while two troops from the US-led coalition and one Afghan soldier were wounded, Pashtun told AFP by telephone.

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More than 100 Afghan soldiers, supported by dozens of US-led coalition troops and helicopters, launched the operation in Mianeshin district, some 140km north of Kandahar.

Afghan forces were still pursuing around 50 suspected militants, Pashtun said.

"The government troops are chasing them (suspected Taliban) into the nearby mountains," he said.

The US-led coalition would not comment on the operation, citing security reasons.