Taliban leader killed in Kunar province

An airstrike in Afghanistan's Kunar province killed a Taliban leader and several other insurgents, coalition military officials said Tuesday. A report by NATO's International Security Assistance Force Joint Command did not say how many insurgents died in the attack in the Watahpur district of Kunar province, but identified the al-Qaida affiliated Taliban leader killed in the operation as Mutaqi, also known as Mullah Amir Muhammad or Malik. The U.S. Defense Department report on the airstrike quoted officials as saying Mutaqi was responsible for passing critical information to senior al-Qaida-associated Taliban leaders in the province and was involved in planning suicide bombing attacks in the region. An Afghan and coalition security force later confirmed no civilians were injured and no civilian property was damaged during the operation. In other developments, ISAF said a combined force in Kabul area arrested the insurgent leader responsible for the bomb attack that killed Afghanistan's Minister for Women's Affairs Hanifa Safi last month. The attack occurred in eastern Lagham province's Mehtar Lam district, but details of the arrest were not available. Safi had been a strong supporter of fair treatment of women. The bomb, attached to her car, exploded as she left home.