Afghan forces kill 10 militants

A clash between Afghan police and the Taliban militants left 10 armed insurgents dead and eight others injured in Ghazni province with Ghazni city as its capital 125 km south of Kabul on Saturday, a local official said. "A group of armed Taliban rebels raided a local police checkpoint in Gilan district in the wee hours of Saturday and police returned fire killing 10 rebels on the spot and wounding eight others," district governor Mahboubullah Sabawon told Xinhua. He didn't say if there were any casualties on the security personnel. Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in talks with media via telephone from unknown location confirmed the clash but insisted only three militants and 10 local police personnel had been killed. Warring sides in Afghanistan often exaggerate the casualties inflicted on opponents, an it is difficult to get verification from independent sources.