KABUL, Jan 22: Afghan and international forces said on Thursday they had killed around 30 militants in Afghanistan, 22 of them in Nato air strikes after a patrol was attacked near the Pakistan border.

A ‘large number of insurgents’ attacked a Nato patrol in eastern Khost province on Wednesday, the alliance’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement.

“The Isaf patrol fired back in response and called in attack helicopters and close air support,” it said.

“Isaf servicemembers from a nearby operating base assessed the scene, confirming a total of 22 insurgents killed in the remote area,” it said.

An Isaf official said the attack had taken place in the province’s Bak district.

The Afghan defence ministry said separately that police posts in the neighbouring Tere Zayi district had come under attack late on Wednesday, sparking heavy fighting that continued till Thursday.

“Eight enemies were killed,” it said.

The US-led coalition said separately that its forces had killed six Taliban militants in an operation in the southern province of Zabul.

Coalition forces killed six armed Taliban militants and detained one suspected militant during an operation to disrupt the Taliban’s roadside bomb network in Zabul province, it said in a statement.—AFP