Afghan forces kill over 70 Taliban in eastern Nuristan

Afghan security forces have repulsed a major coordinated assault by hundreds of Taliban militants in eastern Nuristan province, killing over 70 militants, officials said Wednesday.
Hundreds of militants stormed security check posts in this mountainous province bordering Pakistan a day earlier.
The militants were taken on by National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) for hours.
Almost 70 militants were killed while 30 more wounded in the battle.
Four security personnel also died and five others wounded fighting the militants.
The Taliban, on their part, claimed to have killed 20 security personnel in the assault.
Bordering Dir and Chitral districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, Nuristan province of Afghanistan with its thick forest cover has long been used by the militants for sanctuaries and movement between the two countries.