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Taliban local leader killed in premature blast: Afghan police

Xinhua, November 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Some four militants, including a Taliban local leader, were killed in a blast in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz overnight, police said on Monday.

"Taliban local leader named Chopan, along with three comrades, were killed after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) they were building in Chopan's house detonated accidently Sunday night," Mahfozullah Akbari, police spokesman in the northern zone, told Xinhua.

The incident occurred in Shahrawan locality, Archi district and the building was also destroyed by the blast, the police official added.

Taliban militant group has been using IEDs to target security forces, but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians, according to military officials.

The Kunduz province and neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces have been the scene of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to challenge the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region.

Taliban militants captured major parts of the provincial capital of Kunduz city on Oct. 3, but were forced to retreat from the city in mid October. Endit