NATO-led Force Kills Two Taliban Leaders in S. Afghanistan

The NATO-led force have killed two Taliban leaders during an operation in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, the military alliance said in a statement issued here. Mullah Abdul Matin and his associate Mullah Karim Agha were killed on Feb. 18 in Helmand, a known hotbed of Taliban militancy, it said. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), deployed with UN mandate for fighting militants and ensuring security in the war-ravaged country, said the successful attack brought the Taliban networks "another severe setback." It further added that there were no civilian casualties reported from the operation. A 43,000-strong multi-national force is deployed in Afghanistan under the flag of NATO-led ISAF.