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50 militants killed in Afghan southern Sangin district

Xinhua, December 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Afghan security forces backed by aircrafts have killed around 50 Taliban militants in the besieged Sangin district of the southern Helmand province since Wednesday, provincial governor Mirza Khan Rahimi said Thursday.

"The security forces backed by air strikes have killed some 50 militants and injured scores others since Wednesday evening," Rahimi told Xinhua.

More than two dozen others were killed only during air strikes conducted Wednesday night, the official added.

Without giving more details, the provincial governor said that the "situation is under control" and normalcy is returning to the area.

Taliban militants have been tightening the noose to overrun Sangin district and cut the supply line for troops in provincial capital Lashkar Gah, 555 south of Afghan national capital Kabul city.

Meantime, an army commander Abdul Manan Nijrabi in talks with Xinhua confirmed that the air raids conducted by NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission in Sangin on Wednesday night had left some 100 insurgents dead and injured.

Taliban militants haven't commented.

Afghan acting defense minister Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai told reporters on Wednesday that reinforcement had been sent to Sangin district to fight Taliban militants. Enditem