A joint operation of Afghan and NATO forces launched against Taliban militants in Chardara district of Kunduz province north of Afghanistan in weekend have so far eliminated over a dozen rebels, a senior military commander in the province said Tuesday.

"In the operation launched Sunday, 13 rebels have been killed and 12 others sustained injuries so far," General Murad Ali Murad told Xinhua.

During the operation four Afghan soldiers were killed and two others got wounded.

Involving over 1,700 troops from Afghan and NATO, the operation would continue until the area is cleared from Taliban insurgents, he stressed.

The relatively peaceful Kunduz province in north Afghanistan has been experiencing increasing Taliban-linked militancy over the past couple of months.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2009)