SHARAN/GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Twenty-five Taliban militants, five election campaigners and two policemen were killed and 20 others wounded in the restive south, officials said on Saturday.

In Paktika, 15 insurgents were killed an air-strike by NATO forces in Marghi area of Barmal district late Friday night amid a dramatic surge in pre-poll violence, the spokesman for the governor Hameedullah Zhwak told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Taliban have denied claims of casualties to their fighters in the overnight air raid. Zabihullah Mujahid said their fighters torched six vehicles of foreign troops in Urgoon district of the province, bordering the lawless tribal region of Pakistan.

More than 18 soldiers were killed in the attack, said Mujahid.

Paktika police chief confirmed the attack, but rejected any casualties to the forces. In another incident of violence, five election campaigners were killed in a militant attack in Larah village of Barmal district last night.

A resident from the area, Daud Jan, said Taliban attacked a convoy of Afghan Special Forces (ASF) backed by tribal militias hired for security of polling stations. Five people were killed and four others were wounded in the attack, he added.

An ASF official confirmed the attack, but denied casualties.

However, Mujahid said a dozen of ASF soldiers were killed in the overnight attack.

Elsewhere, six insurgents were killed and 10 others were wounded in a clash with police in Qarah Bagh district of southern Ghazni province on Saturday.

The clash also left a policeman dead and two others wounded, said police chief Brig. Gen. Khyal Baz Sherzai.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News the clash erupted when a group of insurgents attacked a police check-point in Chakar village Qarah Bagh district at 12:00pm.

One policeman was killed and two others were wounded in the assault.

In counter-attack, according to Sherzai, six attackers were killed and 10 others were injured. He said the injured included three local commanders.

A resident of the village, Noorullah, said the clash lasted an hour.

Mujahid said nine policemen were killed in the clash.

In Ghazni province, four Taliban and a policeman were killed and five militants and two cops wounded in a clash in Mangar area of Ghazni city last night.

myn/ma