KHOST, May 19: Nearly 70 Taliban militants were killed in an ambush by US-led forces and Afghan soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, a military commander said on Saturday. The rebels were killed late on Friday 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, he said.

Paktia is one of the most violent regions in Afghanistan and one where the Taliban are at their most active, launching regular attacks on Afghan and foreign troops.

The attack took place in Jaji district, where Pakistan and Afghan forces traded fire over two days last week, killing 13 Afghans.

A NATO soldier was shot dead -- reportedly by a man in Pakistani military uniform -- just across the border after talks to defuse the tensions. A Pakistani soldier was also killed.

The Taliban, ousted from power more than five years ago, are still active in the south and east of the country.

The rebels have threatened a wave of violence, including suicide bombings and roadside explosions, following the killing of their top military commander Mullah Dadullah a week ago.

Mr Dadullah was the most senior Taliban member to be killed since the group’s toppling in late 2001 by a US-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks.—AFP