Afghan forces have killed a top al-Qaeda militant wanted by the United States, as the government yesterday accused the Taliban of still keeping close ties with the Islamist militant group. Abu Muhsin al-Masri, an Egyptian national believed to be the group's number-two in the Indian sub-continent, was targeted in eastern Ghazni province, Afghanistan's intelligence agency said in a statement. The National Directorate of Security did not provide further details about the operation or when it was carried out. The Taliban government's sheltering of Al-Qaeda was the original reason for the US invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks.