KUNDUZ, Afghanistan Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ten insurgents were killed in a special operation and an airstrike in Afghan northern province of Kunduz Sunday night, an army official said Monday.
"Afghan army commandos raided a Taliban hideout in Khanabad district, killing five Taliban fighters, including a local Taliban leader named Noor Ullah, last night," Abdul Khalil, a spokesman of army's Division 20 Pamir based in the region, told Xinhua.
The overnight operation in Khanabad was launched in retaliation for a Taliban attack Sunday morning, which claimed the lives of 13 police personnel, the source said, adding that Noor Ullah was directly involved in the deadly attack against police checkpoints in surrounding areas of Khanabad.
Separately, the Afghan air force launched an airstrike against a Taliban position in neighboring Chahar Dara district, and the strike left five militants dead while an insurgent's bunker was also destroyed, Khalil said.
The Kunduz province, as well as neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to challenge the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.
