Afghan and US-led forces kill over 220 militants: coalition

KABUL (AFP) — Afghan and international forces killed more than 220 militants over the past week in the country's insurgency-wracked south, the US-led coalition said in a statement.

The militants were killed in several clashes from August 25-30 in Helmand province, where Taliban rebels control several districts, the statement received late Sunday said. Afghan and US-led forces suffered no casualties.

ANSF and coalition forces were attacked repeatedly by militants. The soldiers responded with small-arms fire, heavy weapons and close air support, it added.

Several weapons caches were discovered by soldiers and destroyed, the statement said.

The casualty figures were partially announced earlier by both Afghan and US-led troops in separate statements over the past days.

Helmand is a stronghold of the extremist Taliban movement that was in government between 1996 and 2001 and is waging an insurgency to take back power.

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