17 Taliban commanders killed in Afghan southern province

Lashkar Gah, May 5 (Xinhua-ANI): Security forces have killed 17 Taliban commanders in Helmand province 555 km south of capital Kabul over the past two days, officials said Saturday.

"During series of operations, the security forces in Marja, Nad Ali and Gereshk districts have killed 17 Taliban commanders since Friday," a security official who declined to give his name told Xinhua.

These commanders were planning to target government interests in different parts of the province but the security forces acting upon intelligence reports carried out rapid attacks and foiled their designs.

Meantime, the provincial administration in a statement sent to media identified the killed commanders as Haqyar, Zafran , Sahrafudin, Umari, Sifat, Hedayat, Nasib, Faizullah , Aimal, Amin , Ahsanullah, Raziq, Sadaqat and four more, saying with their eliminations the Taliban outfit has lost its fighting capability.

Taliban militants who announced to kick off spring offensive dubbed as "Al-Farooq from May 3 have confirmed the fighting in Helmand province.

Qari Yusuf Ahmadi who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from unknown location has rejected the claim, saying the operation Al-Farooq has been going on across Helmand province and several Afghan and foreign troops have been killed, a claim spurned by Helmand provincial officials as baseless. (Xinhua-ANI)