One of the Taliban fighters who masterminded the kidnapping of 23 South Koreans in July has been killed, Afghan officials say.

The police chief in Ghazni province said that Mullah Mateen was one of a number of Taliban killed in fighting against Afghan and foreign troops.

The Taliban say that the dead men were all civilians.

Twenty-one of the Koreans, who were Christian aid workers, were released and two killed by the Taliban.

There has been no independent confirmation of the death of Mr Mateen.

Elsewhere in the country police said three of their number were killed by two suicide bombs.

Two of the victims in the relatively peaceful northern province of Kunduz, and one in the volatile south-eastern province of Paktika.

Those who died in Kunduz included a district police chief. The Taliban say that as many as six policemen were killed in Paktika.

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Taleban fighters (archive)