MojNews-Afghan forces backed by U.S. forces killed two senior Taliban leaders and at least ۳۸ fighters of the hardline insurgent group in joint air strikes conducted in northern and western regions of Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.

The operations, launched on Saturday night, were aimed at foiling attacks planned by the Taliban on Afghan forces, said a senior security official in capital Kabul, adding that clashes have escalated following the collapse of diplomatic talks between the U.S. and the Taliban.

The defence ministry in a statement said that the Taliban&#۳۹;s designate governor for northern Samangan province, Mawlavi Nooruddin, was killed along with four fighters in an air strike in Dara-e-Soof Payeen district.

But the Taliban denied the governor had been killed.

"He (Nooruddin) is alive," said Zabihullah Mujahid , a Taliban spokesman said in a statement.

In a separate incident, Mullah Sayed Azim, a Taliban designate governor for Anar Dara district in western Farah was killed in a joint Afghan and foreign force raid.

"Sayed Azim was killed along with ۳۴ other insurgents in Anar Dara," said Mohibullah Mohib, a spokesman for Farah provincial police.