Roundup: 26 Taliban fighters including key commander killed in S. Afghanistan

A total of Taliban militants including a key commander have been killed in Taliban former stronghold the southern Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of the national capital Kabul city since Wednesday night, Interior Ministry said here Thursday.

According to a statement of Interior Ministry sent to media outlets on Thursday, more than two dozen Taliban militants had been killed and 22 more others sustained injuries as clash erupted in Musa Qala and Kajaki districts of Helmand province on Wednesday night.

"Taliban militants raided security checkpoints in Musa Qala and Kajaki districts last night which triggered gun battle and had left 25 attacking insurgents dead and 22 more others injured," said the statement of Interior Ministry.

However, the statement didn't say if there were casualties on security personnel.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power haven 't made comment.

Moreover, the security forces in latest crackdown against militants had killed a Taliban key commander Mullah Zindani in the Taliban1 former stronghold the southern Helmand province on Thursday, said a statement of Interior Ministry.

"Acting upon intelligence report, units of police organized an ambush on a road used by Taliban commander Mullah Zindani in Musa Qala district Thursday morning and killed him," the statement stressed.

Mullah Zindani, according to the statement was a key commander of Taliban militants in Musa Qala and the neighboring Kajaki district and his physical elimination could be a major setback to the armed insurgents operating in south Afghanistan.

Taliban militants fighting the government are yet to make comment on the claim.

Notorious for growing poppy and militancy, Helmand which borders Pakistan has been regarded as Taliban hotbed in the militancy-plagued Afghanistan. Endi