50 Taliban, 28 Others Killed in Afghan Violence
'Pakistan Times' Foreign Desk

KANDAHAR (Afghanistan): NATO and Afghan troops clashed with Taliban insurgents and called in air strikes, killing at least 50suspected militants and dozens of civilians, including women and children, local officials and villagers said Friday.

The fighting started Thursday night in the village of Kumbarak in Helmand province, and NATO forces told residents to evacuate their homes because of the clashes, said Gereshk district chief Abdul Manaf Khan.

The air strikes killed 50 Taliban and 28 civilians, Khan said, citing villagers' reports. He said the bodies have already been buried, and the fighting continued Friday.●