KANDAHAR, Jan 5: Nine Taliban militants were killed in a gunfight early on Monday by Nato and Afghan troops in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, a senior police official said.

The gunfight erupted after Taliban-linked militants attacked Nato and Afghan security forces in the restive province’s Panjwayi district, the top

police commander for southern Afghanistan, Ghulam Ali Wahdat, said.

The troops were on patrol when they came under attack, he said.

“We were conducting an operation in the area. Taliban attacked one of our patrols. We engaged them and nine Taliban were killed,” Wahdat said.

Kandahar is one of the most troubled regions in Afghanistan, and one where Taliban militants are most active.

Remnants of the Afghan Taliban regime, which was ousted from power in a US-led invasion in late 2001, are now waging a guerilla war against the US-installed government of President Hamid Karzai.

There are about 70,000 US and Nato-led invading troops in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban.—AFP