Afghan police: 11 insurgents killed in south

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

KABUL (AP) — Overnight fighting between Afghan police and insurgents in southern Afghanistan left 11 militants dead, officials said. A NATO pilot was injured after his jet crashed following takeoff in the same region.

Insurgents attacked the police post in Paktika province Wednesday evening and fighting raged for several hours, said Gen. Dawlat Khan, the provincial police chief. Eventually, international forces called in an airstrike to help the officers.

Eleven militants but no police were killed in the fighting, he said.

In the southern Kandahar province, a British jet crashed on takeoff Thursday due to mechanical failure, said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hall, a spokesman for the NATO-led force. The pilot was wounded after ejecting from the aircraft in Kandahar airfield, he said.

"There were no other passengers on board. At present we are not aware of any other casualties," Hall said.



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