20 Taliban militants killed in N. Afghanistan

PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Afghan troops backed by NATO-led forces during ongoing clean-up operation in northern Afghan province of Baghlan eliminated 20 Taliban militants, spokesman of police in the region said Sunday.

"Twenty militants have been killed and 12 others sustained injuries since Saturday afternoon in Baghlan-e-Markazi district," Lal Mohammad Ahmadzi told Xinhua.

He also said that the joint operation lunched five days kept on mounting pressure on Taliban militants in Baghlan-e-Markazi district and would continue till the complete wipe out of militants from the area.

The fighting followed of gunfights and roadside bombings in the areas last Thursday which left four German soldiers with NATO-led forces and three policemen dead.

However, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via cell phone form undisclosed location claimed destroying two foreign military tanks and a police van.

He also admitted that two of his men were killed in the fighting.

Taliban fighters also claimed abducting four employees of United Nations in Baghlan province on Friday.

Baghlan and neighboring Kunduz province, relatively peaceful provinces until early 2009, has been the scene of security incidents over the past several months.