A US Army Chinook helicopter lands on a hill in Kabul on November 7, 2009NATO says Afghan and international forces have killed more than 130 insurgents, including eight Taliban leaders, in an offensive in northern Kunduz province.

In a statement Monday, NATO said international forces carried out the operation in Chahar Dara district last week "to stop insurgent activity and weapons trafficking."

The alliance says more than 750 Afghan and NATO forces took part in the mission, and that it disrupted a shadow government set up by insurgents in the province.

NATO says no civilians or military personnel were killed during the nearly weeklong offensive.

In the southern city of Kandahar, about 350 Taliban prisoners began a hunger strike late Sunday to protest poor food, water and medical care.

Afghan and local officials plan to visit the prison to investigate what prompted the hunger strike.


Some information for this report was provided by AP.