KABUL, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Five militants of Haqqani militant group had been killed following an Afghan Air Force-led airstrike in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika, the country's defense ministry said Wednesday.

The strike was launched in Gomal district after an intelligence tip-off confirmed the presence of the militants in a remote area in the district, bordering Pakistan, the ministry said in a statement.

As a Taliban-linked group of militants, the Haqqani network was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2012.

The group has yet to make comments on the report.