HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) — US-led coalition air strikes and Afghan ground troops killed at least 33 Taliban militants during a firefight in western Afghanistan, Afghan officials said on Monday.
The coalition said "numerous" militants were killed on Sunday during an operation in Nimroz province targeting a Taliban leader involved in bomb attacks but did not give further details.
The clash happened after insurgents attacked a police post in Khash Rod district of Nimroz province Sunday night, provincial police chief Mohammad Ayob Badakhshi told AFP.
"Five Taliban were killed and three wounded after they attacked our post," Badakhshi said.
After the incident the militants massed with other insurgents in the same district, where they were bombed by US-led coalition aircraft, provincial governor Ghulam Dastageer Azad told AFP.
"In the aerial bombing by the US troops 28 Taliban were killed and many others were wounded. The dead include three Taliban commanders," Azad said.
The governor said there are "unconfirmed reports" that the air strike caused civilian casualties but he could not provide details immediately.
A coalition statement said they killed "numerous" armed militants using small-arms fire and air strikes in an operation on Sunday targeting a Taliban leader known to facilitate bomb attacks, but they did not give figures.
"Several militants were killed and one was detained Sunday during a coalition forces operation to disrupt militant activities in Nimroz province," the statement said.
A Taliban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, said that none of their fighters were killed in the bombing and claimed that all those killed were civilians. Many of his previous claims have proved to be exaggerated.
"They killed 22 people and they were all civilians who had gathered in open due to hot weather for a ceremony. None of them were Taliban," Ahmadi said in a telephone call.
Nimroz, which shares long border with neighbouring Iran, sees occasional attacks by militants but is relatively peaceful compared with southern provinces where Taliban attacks are reported almost on daily basis.
The Taliban were ousted from power in late 2001 by a US-led invasion and have since launched a bloody insurgency which has claimed thousands of lives.
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