Pakistan deploys border troops

Pakistani officials say that troops have been deployed along the border near Balochistan province to try to stop the activities of al Qaeda and suspected Taleban fighters in the area.

A BBC correspondent in Quetta says a high level official confirmed that Pakistani troops have been deployed near Chaman, Toba Achakzzai and Qamar Din Karaiz.

He says that army and Frontier Corp personnel are reported to have begun joint patrols.

Initially the Army was deployed in the Skam Kanra area bordering the Afghan area of Spin Boldak, and Dobandi area of Pakistan close to the Shin Narey area of Afghanistan.

On Monday, Afghan security officials said between eight and 15 Taleban fighters were killed in overnight clashes with military forces near the border with Pakistan.

A senior Taleban commander is reported to have been killed in the fighting which also left five government soldiers slightly injured.

Recent fighting

An Afghan military commander said the clashes occurred in Maruf district in the southern Kandahar province after a group of Taleban attacked army positions.

He said the fighters had come from Pakistan across the border, or from the neighbouring province of Zabul.

The region was the scene of recent fierce fighting between hundreds of Taleban fighters and Afghan and coalition forces in which more than 100 Taleban fighters and several soldiers were killed.

The commander said that in the latest incident, eight Taleban had been killed, among them their southern commander, Mullah Abdur Rahim.

He said the body was taken to Kandahar. But a senior figure in the ousted Taleban regime denied the death.

Other reports from the area said 15 Taleban were killed in the fighting. Afghan government forces had logistical back-up from American forces operating in the area.