8 killed in fresh violence in Afghanistan

KABUL: Taliban rebels stormed a district government office in southern Afghanistan overnight with a policeman and seven rebels killed in a fierce battle that lasted until morning, an official said on Saturday.

The rebels attacked a district headquarters in Kandahar province, a hotbed of Taliban insurgents, around midnight, interior ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said.

After the battle, "The Taliban fled, leaving the seven bodies at the site," Stanizai told AFP.

Police launched an operation immediately afterwards to "chase the rebels, locate their hide-outs and eliminate them", the spokesman said.

The attack in Mianshin came hours after 45 other Taliban were killed by coalition and Afghan troops in southern Uruzgan province on Friday as part of a new operation, Mountain Thrust, launched a couple of weeks ago.

Meanwhile in eastern Kunar province, two coalition troops were killed on Friday when their patrol vehicle struck a bomb planted in the road, a coalition statement said.

Scores of Taliban rebels killed in the past couple months as they have stepped up their attacks against Afghan and foreign troops.

Afghan police and army also have increased their search and offensive operations.