Senior police commander, 3 militants killed in clash in E. Afghanistan

SHARANA, Afghanistan, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A senior police officer and three militants have been confirmed dead as clash erupted in Yahya Khil district of Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province on Wednesday, provincial police spokesman Shah Mohammad Aryan said.

According to the official, the clash erupted when a group of Taliban insurgents attacked the vehicle of Mohammad Ayub Thandar, the police chief of Barmal district, triggering gun battle, which lasted for three hours. The clash resulted in the death of the police district chief and three militants.

Three more militants and three bodyguards of the police commander had been injured during the fighting, the official added.

Taliban militants have not made comments yet.