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Afghan clash 'kills 60 Taleban' Afghan clash 'kills 60 Taleban'
(40 minutes later)
The US-led coalition force in Afghanistan says at least 60 Taleban fighters have been killed in fighting in the southern province of Helmand.The US-led coalition force in Afghanistan says at least 60 Taleban fighters have been killed in fighting in the southern province of Helmand.
However, the casualty figures cannot be independently verified. Villagers, however, say that 12 local civilians have died in air strikes and 50 families have fled their homes.
The coalition said one soldier also died in the fighting, which reportedly began when the Taleban struck a coalition patrol near Musa Qala town. The conflicting claims could not be independently verified.
There has been heavy recent fighting between US-led forces and Taleban militants in southern Afghanistan. Violence has soared in Afghanistan and more than 3,000 people have been killed this year as Afghan and foreign forces battle Taleban fighters.
The US-led forces say they returned fire and called in air support after the insurgents attacked a joint coalition-Afghan patrol with machine guns, mortars and rocket propelled grenades. In recent times, there has been heavy fighting between US-led forces and Taleban militants in southern Afghanistan.
The fighting happened near the town of Musa Qala - which was returned to Taleban control last February. Different figures
Helmand has seen some of the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan over the past two years. A statement issued by the coalition said a combined force of the Afghan army and the coalition was patrolling near Musa Qalah - a village formerly occupied by British troops but held by the Taleban for nearly a year.
Violence has soared this year with more than 3,000 people killed as Afghan and foreign forces battle Taleban fighters. Several dozen insurgents attacked the convoy from trenches and compounds and continued reinforcing their positions, the statement added.
Subsequent coalition air strikes killed more than 60 rebels, while one coalition soldier died, it said.
The US-led coalition said the targets had been identified as Taleban positions but villagers told the BBC that 12 civilians were killed in the air bombardment and 50 families fled their homes.
The Taleban, for its part, gave very different figures - it said three of their fighters and 20 foreign and Afghan army forces had died.
Separately, the Interior Ministry told the BBC that a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked the Spin Boldak border post adjoining Pakistan, killing four guards and several civilians.
Exact details of the attack were not immediately available.