Key Taliban commander among eight killed in S. Afghanistan

Eight Taliban militants including a key commander have been killed as clash erupted in Sangin district of the southern Helmand province on Tuesday, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here.

"Eight Taliban terrorists including their key commander Mawlawi Agha have been killed in Sangin district today and their attempt to overcome Sangin has been foiled," the statement added.

The clash took place after the militants launched organized offensives on several security checkpoints Tuesday morning and police strongly retaliated, forcing the insurgents to flee, the statement attested.

"The situation is normal in Sangin district and any report about its fall is utterly baseless propaganda," Interior Ministry stresed in the statement.

Taliban militants have intensified activities over the past couple of days.

The militants also launched coordinated offensives in parts of the northern Kunduz, Badakhshan, Helmand, Samangan and Jauzjan provinces on Sunday and Monday.

However, all their attempts to gain ground have been failed, officials said.

Meantime, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Majahid in contact with media claimed that the Taliban fighters have gained grounds and inflicted huge casualties to government forces in the said provinces. Enditem