Taliban fighters mount raid on southeastern Afghan town

Taliban fighters staged a commando-style raid on a town in southeastern Afghanistan yesterday, and government forces said they had the militants surrounded.

A Reuters reporter in the town heard an explosion and shooting near the headquarters of the Khost provincial department for tribal affairs.

Smoke could be seen rising over the area. Afghan forces had cordonned off the road leading to the site of the blast and a helicopter was seen landing nearby.

"We have two fighters surrounded near the tribal affairs department," said General Zahiruddin Wardak, a commander of Afghan army troops in Khost.

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