Seven militants killed in Afghan airstrike

Kabul: Seven militants, including a Taliban commander, were on Tuesday killed in an airstrike targeting a Taliban hideout in Kunduz province of Afghanistan.

"Acting upon intelligence reports, the security forces struck a Taliban hideout in Mullah Qali area of Dasht-e-Archi district in the morning. Notorious commander Mullah Ismael was also among the dead," Xinhua news agency quoted district governor Nasrudin Nazari as saying.

Ismael was commanding Taliban fighters in Dasht-e-Archi and neighbouring Chardara, he said.

His death could deal a major blow to the armed insurgents in Kunduz and the neighbouring Baghlan and Takhar provinces.

The group has not commented yet.