US-led coalition troops killed a Taliban commander dressed as a woman during a raid in southern Afghanistan, the military said yesterday.

Soldiers killed four Taliban fighters in the operation, including the Taliban commander Haji Yakub who was dressed as a woman to evade capture. The US said coalition forces discovered Yakub as they questioned a group of women and children inside a compound. The Taliban commander was dressed in a burqa. He was killed when he "attempted to engage the force", the statement said.

Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces killed 33 militants when their patrol came under attack in southern Helmand province. The troops responded to the attack with small-arms fire and air support.