Gun battle leaves 3 militants dead in northern Afghan town

Three armed militants were killed and two civilians sustained injuries as police clashed with armed group in Khanabad District of the northern Kunduz Province Saturday, a local official said. "A group of armed men were illegally collecting taxes from drivers on a road in Khanabad District, and when police wanted to arrest them, clash erupted leaving three armed rebels dead," district governor Hayatullah Amiri told Xinhua. One driver and a passerby sustained injuries during the firefight, which lasted for a while, he added. Blaming Taliban militants for creating law and order problems, the official added that the Taliban militants are often behind security incidents elsewhere in the country.