Fighting goes down in S. Afghanistan's Helmand province

The intense fighting which flared up between Taliban and government forces for the control of the troubled Helmand province in southern Afghanistan nearly a month ago has decelerated, the provincial government said.

"The fighting has been going down in Helmand province nowadays after hundreds of the Taliban insurgents have been killed," provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat told Xinhua on Monday.

Helmand, a hub of growing poppy and hotbed of Taliban militants, has been the scene of increasing insurgency over the past several years.

However, the conflict got momentum in mid July when Taliban fighters launched coordinated offensives in Nad Ali, Marja, Nawa, Chah-e-Anjir, Garmsir and other districts in the restive province to overrun provincial capital Lashkar Gah, the key town in southern region and 555 km south of the national capital Kabul.

Soldiers fighting in Helmand have also reported reduction in Taliban operations there.

The strategically important Helmand province, which borders Pakistan, according to local analysts, is vital for both the government and Taliban insurgents.

Local analysts believe that if Helmand province falls into the hands of the Taliban militants, it would facilitate the armed outfit to shift its "Shura-e-Rahbari" or leadership council into the province.

The possible fall of Helmand, according to local analysts, would pave the way for the collapse of adjoining provinces of Zabul, Uruzgan and even Kandahar.

More than 700 Taliban fighters have been killed or injured over the past three weeks in the province, governor Hayat contended, saying the aggressive mode of the government forces has forced the militants to retreat in many places. Endit