US-led troops and military aircraft have killed around a dozen Taliban in fighting in southern Afghanistan, the US military has said. The fighters were killed on Monday in Helmand province's Garmser district which borders Pakistan, the military said on Tuesday.US troops were searching compounds in Garmser for a Taliban commander suspected of supplying weapons to fighters when they saw Taliban forces preparing an ambush, a statement said. They responded with small arms and "around a dozen extremists were killed," it said.
US Marines and British troops under Nato command launched an operation in Garmser two weeks ago, saying they aimed to drive out the Taliban and destroy their support networks. A separate air strike on Monday by Nato's International Security Assistance Force killed four Taliban fighters, including a local commander in the eastern province of Paktia which also borders Pakistan, an Afghan army spokesman said.