11 Taliban fighters killed in clashes, airstrikes

A series of clashes and airstrikes in southern Afghanistan killed 11 Taliban militants, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

A series of clashes and airstrikes in southern Afghanistan killed 11 Taliban militants, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

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Afghan and foreign troops clashed with Taliban fighters and called in airstrikes yesterday in Garmser district of Helmand province, leaving seven militants dead, the ministry said.

Four other militants were killed on Sunday after they ambushed an Afghan army patrol in Kandahar province, the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, a roadside bomb hit an Afghan army patrol in Zabul province, wounding five soldiers, the ministry said.

Over 1,000 people, mostly militants, have died in insurgency-related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count based on numbers provided by Afghan and Western officials.