Nearly 70 Taliban fighters killed in battle

NEARLY 70 Taliban militants were killed in an ambush by US-led forces and Afghan soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, a military commander said today.

The rebels were killed late yesterday in Paktia province near the border with Pakistan, Afghan army general Sami-Ul Haq Badar said.

"We set an ambush, attacked them and killed 67 Taliban. Their bodies were lying on the ground,"

he said.

The general said the soldiers had been tipped off that there were Taliban in the area. No Afghan or foreign soldiers were hurt in the gunfight, which lasted several hours.