25 militants die in Afghan airstrike

MEHTARLAM, Sept 07 (Xinhua): At least 25 militants were killed and eight others wounded after Afghan security forces repelled a Taliban attack in eastern Laghman province during Sunday night, a provincial government spokesman said Monday.
"The militants stormed security forces' position in Jaibon locality of Alishing district, in the north of provincial capital Mehtarlam at mid-night. The ground forces called in an air support, and the Afghan Air Force struck the militants by a precise airstrike in the area, leaving the casualties," spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai told Xinhua.
Those among the killed militants were five Taliban's Red Unit fighters who usually use visible laser and night vision equipment during the fight with soldiers, he said.
The attackers came from nearby mountains, and the security forces found weapon and ammunition after the clashes.
Local villagers and Afghan Red Crescent Society personnel usually collect the bodies of the militants after clashes to identify and hand over the bodies to relatives.
The Taliban militants have tried to overrun small towns or districts across Afghanistan and consolidate their position since the signing of a Taliban-U.S. peace agreement in late February.