Taliban shadow district governor among 17 killed in N. Afghan province

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 militants including a shadow district governor Mawlawi Abdul Khaleq were killed after security forces stormed their hideout in Shortepa district of northern Afghanistan's Balkh province on Friday, a police spokesman in the northern region, Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, said.