4 Taliban insurgents killed in S Afghanistan

KABUL, July 1 -- Four Taliban insurgents were killed as they came in contact with Afghan National Police and U.S. -led Coalition troops in southern Afghan province of Ghazni Wednesday morning, police said.

"It was 09:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) when the rebels ambushed a joint convoy of police and coalition forces, and four rebels were killed after exchanging fire," provincial police chief of Ghazni Khial Baz Shirzai told Xinhua.

In a separate incident, Taliban militants kidnapped 11 community elders Tuesday night in Arizo area in suburban area of provincial capital Ghazni city.

According to police chief, Taliban conducted the crime for revenge of which the elders stopped the insurgents from planting mines on the roads to attack security forces.

Taliban militants, who staged a boldly comeback from their traditional hotbed in southern Afghanistan, have vowed to speed up attacks against the interest of Afghan government and its western backers this year.