12 Taliban militants killed in S. Afghanistan

Some 12 Taliban militants were killed in the restive Helmand province on Monday, provincial police chief Aqa Noor Kintoz said.

"A group of Taliban militants was attempting to target security checkpoints in Nad Ali district in mid night, but our forces acting upon intelligence report laid ambush and killed 12 rebels early this morning," Kintoz told Xinhua.

Two group commanders Mullah Darwish and Mullah Rahmat were also among those killed in the attack, the official said.

There was no casualty on security personnel, Kintoz added.

Notorious for growing poppy and militancy, Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of Kabul, has been the scene of bloody fighting between government forces and Taliban over the past couple of years. Endit