1st LD: Air strikes on hospital in N. Afghanistan kill 15 insurgents

Up to 15 Taliban militants, who were hiding in a hospital in the northern Kunduz city, were killed on Saturday, Kunduz police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said.

"A large number of Taliban militants were hiding in the hospital of Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) in Kunduz city and the security forces conducted air raids against the hideout early Saturday, killing 15 insurgents on the spot," Hussaini told Xinhua.

He also confirmed that part of the hospital was destroyed in the raid.

Hussaini has also rejected the reports that three doctors of the hospital were killed in air attack.

"No doctors of the hospital or patients and civilians have been hurt in the air strikes," the police spokesman said.

The MSF said on Saturday that bombardment on its hospital in Kunduz had left three staff dead and partially damaged the hospital.

Taliban militants captured parts of Kunduz, some 250 km north of Kabul, on Monday and the government forces began a counter- offensive on Thursday.

According to Hussaini, hundreds of Taliban militants have been killed so far.

He said 65 Taliban insurgents had been killed since early Saturday in Kunduz and a cleanup operation against the militants was ongoing in the city.

However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told media via telephone from an unknown location that all the victims were hospital staff and patients, a claim rebuffed by police as baseless. Endi