NATO troops kill insurgents near Afghan capital

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Sunday its troops eliminated a handful of insurgents and detained a Taliban sub-commander in Logar province, 60 km south of the Afghan capital Kabul.

An Afghan-international security force captured a Taliban sub- commander and killed several insurgents in Logar in a compound in the village of Nagar, in Pul-e- Alam district this morning," ISAF said in a press release.

However, locals have insisted that the victims were innocent civilians.

Hundreds of angry villagers staged a protest demonstration and blocked the Kabul-Gardiz highway, insisting that the international troops killed three civilians.

On the other hand, the press release said that the joint forces acted upon intelligence information raided a hideout of militants but they were confronted by armed individuals.

"When the individuals displayed hostile intent they were shot and killed," the press release said, adding the combined forces also captured two militants.

"One of the militants captured is a Taliban sub-commander, involved in planning suicide attacks. He immediately surrendered and identified himself as the targeted insurgent,"the press release asserted without mentioning the name of the arrested commander.

It also said that the troopers found several weapons including an automatic rifle and pistols.

Source: Xinhua