Gun battle leaves 5 Afghan Taliban dead

Five Taliban militants were killed as units of police raided their hideouts in a mountainous area of Juauzjan province 390 km north of Kabul on Sunday, a local official said. "Personnel of Police stormed Taliban hideout in Qushtapa district early today morning killing five armed rebels," district governor Rahmatullah Hashar told Xinhua. There were no casualties on police, he contended. Meantime, the deputy police chief of the neighboring Saripul province, Sakhi Dad, said that police captured four Taliban militants early Sunday. Taliban militants have yet to make comment.