Coalition operation kills bomb maker, 10 other militants

Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed 11 Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan on Friday, according to officials.

The raid in Kandahar province, where the Canadian forces serving in Afghanistan are based, targeted an alleged bomb maker believed to have been responsible for roadside attacks that killed NATO soldiers, officials with the coalition told the Associated Press.

A spokesperson with the Canadian military said Canadian forces were not directly involved in the operation.

The militants barricaded themselves inside an Afghan home during the Christmas Day operation and opened fire on the coalition soldiers, officials said.

They returned fire on the militants after women and children left the area, they said.

The officials also said the coalition forces in the area found dozens of land mines, grenades, AK-47s and bomb-making materials inside the home.