1st LD Writethru: 3 Taliban key commanders among 13 killed in southern Afghanistan

A total of 13 Taliban fighters including three key commanders have been killed in Marja district of the southern Helmand province on Friday, an army spokesman in the province, Brigadier Mohammad Rasoul Zazai said.

"Security forces launched major offensive against Taliban rebels in Marja district late Thursday night and so far 13 rebels including three key commanders have been killed and nine others injured," Zazai told Xinhua.

The three important commanders killed in the operations identified as Mawlawi Rahmat the military operational commander of Taliban, Mawlawi Hamidi the in charge of judiciary and military leader of Taliban in Marja and Mullah Dur Mohammad, a mine expert and commander of roadside bomb planter unit of Taliban in Helmand province, the official asserted.

According to Zazai, the killing of the trio could prove a major setback to the Taliban fighters in Marja district and in the restive Helmand province at large.

Meantime, Taliban outfit in an online statement on Friday confirmed fighting in Marja district, claiming that clash erupted on Thursday is going on during which huge casualties have been inflicted on government forces.

Helmand with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of Kabul is notorious for growing poppy and militancy, has been regarded as Taliban hotbed in south of Afghanistan and fighting has been continuing between government forces and the armed outfit in Marja, Garmsir, Nahr-e-Saraj, Nad Ali and some more areas of the troubled province over the past couple of years. Endit