Kabul - More than 100 Taliban insurgents were killed in two separate operations using NATO air power in the southern province of Helmand, a government spokesman said Sunday. At least 62 Taliban militants including foreign fighters were killed when rebels attacked police posts close to the provincial capital Lashkargah early Sunday, Daoud Ahmadi, spokesman for the governor, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
The ground forces responded and NATO aircraft also bombed the militant positions, Ahamdi said, adding that a Taliban commander, Mullah Qadratullah of neighbouring Kandahar province, was among the dead militants.
"There are also reports that several foreign fighters were among the 62 dead militants, but so far we don't have their exact number," he said, citing his information based on intelligence reports.
Another 40 militants were killed in a three-day-operation in Nad Ali, another district of the same Helmand province, Ahmadi said, adding that no Afghan or NATO soldiers were killed in the operations.
Taliban and NATO spokesmen were not immediately available for comment and due to remoteness of the area, it was difficult to verify the claimed death toll independently.
More than 4,000 people - mostly insurgents - have been killed in Afghanistan conflicts so far this year.
