Afghan official: 10 militants killed near border

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan police on Friday killed 10 militants in a gun battle in eastern Paktika province, a provincial official said.

The fighting occurred near the Pakistani border and the militants were suspected members of the Haqqani network, which is affiliated with the Afghan Taliban and closely aligned with al-Qaida, said Mokhlis Afghan, a spokesman for Paktika governor Muhibullah Samim. Afghan said all the militants were thought to be Pakistani.

Earlier, NATO said a roadside bomb killed a service member in southern Afghanistan. It said the attack occurred on Thursday and provided no further details about the attack, nor did it give the nationality of the service member.

Two coalition service members have been killed in action this month, while 114 have died since the start of the year.

In Baghlan province, northeast of Kabul, a torrential downpour on Thursday flooded several districts, killing nine people — including women and children — and destroying several houses and roads, according to provincial governor Abdul Majid.