Two top militants killed in north Afghanistan

Two top Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants were killed in northern Afghanistan in combat operations conducted by the country's Special Operations Unit and coalition troops, officials said on Monday.

The Afghan and coalition forces killed "a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader, during an operation in Almar district, Faryab province, earlier this week," NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.

"The leader, Osmani Sahib, was one of multiple IMU members killed in an exchange of fire that resulted from the insurgents' attempt to attack the combined Afghan and coalition force during the operation," the statement added.

During a separate operation in another northern province, Badakhshan province, by the joint Afghan and ISAF forces, "killed Shamsuddin, a senior Taliban leader, with a precision air strike Saturday," the statement said.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, or IMU, is connected with Al Qaeda group, and it operates in the north of the country, mainly in the Faryab province where the majority of population is Afghan ethnic-Uzbeks.

The two insurgents were responsible for "several improvised explosive device attacks and suicide bombings against Afghan and coalition forces," it said.

In April 7, ISAF said Afghan and coalition forces captured another senior member of Al Qaeda-linked member in the same province, in which he was responsible for funding the attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the province.