Kunduz (Afghanistan), April 24 (Inditop.com) Twenty-one Taliban militants were killed in air and ground assaults launched by the security forces in northern Afghanistan, an official said Saturday.

The fighting took place in Kunduz province Friday night, Xinhua reported citing provincial deputy police chief Abdul Rahman Haqtash.

The militants seized two villages in Imam Sahib district but were driven out by the security forces after a gun battle, which left eight insurgents dead, Haqtash said. A security personnel was also killed in the attack.

Thirteen more Taliban militants, including a rebel commander, were killed in an airstrike by the security forces in Dasht-e-Archi district.

The security forces called in air support after intelligence reports indicated militant activities in the area, the official added.