KABUL, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Taliban's senior commander Mohamad Haleem was killed and two other insurgents captured in a raid in the southern Afghan province of Zabul Monday night, a police officer said on Tuesday.

    "Police launched the raid after they got information from locals that Mohamad Haleem and his followers were to attack Qalat, the capital of Zabul," Mohamad Nadem Mullhkhel, police chief of Zabul, told Xinhua.

    Mohamad Haleem, who was behind many attacks targeting government officials and schools in the province, was surrounded by the police near the Qalat city.

    He was shot dead in the clash while two insurgents were captured at the site, the police chief added.

    Zabul, together with Helmand, Kandahar and Uruzgan, are considered the hotbed of Taliban militants and have been the scene of increasing violent incidents since beginning this year, during which over 200 people including 14 American soldiers had been killed. Enditem