Afghan army claims 12 Taliban killed in southern region

Jan 13, 2009, 10:47 GMT

Kabul - An Afghan army commander for southern Afghanistan claimed Tuesday that government forces backed by NATO troops killed 12 Taliban militants in a clash in the volatile region.

Troops clashed with the rebels at Safaid Masjed in the Gerishk district of southern Helmand province Monday, General Mohaiyodin Ghori, the top Afghan army commander in the region, said.

'According to our intelligence report 12 Taliban militants were killed in the attack,' Ghori said, adding that there were no casualties of government troops or NATO forces.

But the Taliban gave a far different account of the incident. In a statement posted at its website, the militant organization said its forces blew up several Afghan and NATO military vehicles by roadside bombs and then attacked with small-arms' fire.

Several Afghan and international troops were killed in fighting in Safaid Masjed area, the Taliban statement said. It added that three rebel fighters and three civilians were killed when NATO airplanes bombarded the area.

The remoteness of the area made it impossible to independently verify the contradictory claims of the Taliban and Afghan sources.

Helmand, the chief opium-producing province in Afghanistan, is the main hub for the Taliban and its allied foreign fighters.