71 Taliban, 5 Afghan troops dead in clashes

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Afghan and NATO forces battled Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's south with rockets, artillery and airstrikes, killing 71 militants in one of the country's bloodiest clashes in five years. Five Afghan soldiers were killed in the battles, which started late Saturday and spilled into Sunday morning after the Taliban attacked a police convoy in Kandahar province, Afghan officials said. The bodies of 71 slain militants were found in three locations, officials said.