JALALABAD, Afghanistan, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban local leader was killed in a gunfight in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar overnight, the provincial government said in a statement Friday.

"Personnel of National Directorate of Security (NDS), the national intelligence agency, launched a special operation to capture Gul Mohammad alias Sangari in Swati locality, Surkh Road district, on Thursday night. But Sangari was killed after a gunfight broke out in the targeted building," the statement read.

Sangari, who served as Taliban shadow military chief for 14 districts of Nangarhar province, tried the flee before being killed, the statement said, adding that two suspect militants were arrested by security forces after the operation.

Afghan forces and the NATO and U.S.-led coalition troops continued mopping-up operations in the mountainous country.

The Taliban, which has been waging an insurgency of years, has yet to make comments.?