The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Khost

Between 50 and 70 Taliban-linked militants were killed Sunday in air strikes by international forces in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, a provincial governor said.

The past weeks have seen a spike in insurgent activity, including several bloody suicide attacks, with several military operations under way across the war-wracked country to fight back the extremists.

On Sunday, international troops were called in to help police fight back an attack by militants in Khost province who killed two policemen as they headed for Spera district centre, provincial governor Arsala Jamal told AFP.

"Taliban attacked one of our police posts. As they retreated, international military air forces came in and bombed them. Fifty to 70 Taliban have been killed," Jamal said.

"They had killed one policeman in the initial attack and had captured another officer who was later beheaded." The governor said he had video footage of the rebels being killed in the strikes near the border.

"I can say with responsibility that 50 to 70 Taliban have been killed. We have video showing they were killed," he said, when asked how he knew how many had died.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed there had been action in the area but said it was too early to give details.

"We have reports of a huge number of insurgents killed but we are still doing battle damage assessment," an ISAF media officer told AFP.

The rebels were able to get "very close" to the district headquarters in Spera, 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the border with Pakistan, before the air forces arrived, the governor said.