Afghan violence kills 14 Taliban and 8 civilians

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan and international troops killed 14 Taliban militants and eight civilians were killed in a series of attacks, provincial authorities and the U.S. military said Monday. Violence has surged in Afghanistan with some 3,800 people -- a third of them civilians -- killed by the end of July this year, the United Nations said. Already more foreign troops have been killed so far this year than in any year since U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in 2001 for refusing to hand over al Qaeda leaders behind the September 11 attacks on the United States. Six civilians were killed and two more wounded when their minibus hit a roadside bomb in Zana Khan district of Ghazni province Monday, a local official said. "The roadside bomb was planted by insurgents who were... [read full story]