By Xinhua,
Kabul : Afghan police forces with air support from the international troops drove back a Taliban assault on southern Afghan province of Uruzgan killing 35 militants, Juma Gul Humat, the provincial police said Wednesday.
Police chief Juma Gul Humat said more than 100 Taliban militants surrounded Dehrawud district of the province and launched simultaneous attacks from all sides heading toward the centre of the district.
“Afghan police forces engaged Taliban insurgents with air support of international troops,” he said, adding that the fighting continued till the early hours of Wednesday.
The police chief said “over 35 militants were killed in the clashes and nine of them were identified as local commanders.”
The fighting left three policemen dead and six wounded, he said.
“Taliban militants have been driven out of the district,” Humat said.
Meanwhile, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, the purported Taliban spokesman confirmed the insurgents launched attacks on Dehrawud saying they destroyed three police posts and killed 17 policemen.
The southern Afghanistan has seen a significant rise in Taliban activities since the beginning of the current month.
Taliban-related militancy and anti-terror clashes have claimed the lives of more than 4,700 people, mostly insurgents, till date this year, according to officials.