Troops kill 60 militants in Afghanistan

KABUL - Sixty Taliban militants have been killed in clashes with the Afghan and US-led coalition troops in southern Helmand province, officials said Saturday.

“The Afghan National Army Commandos of the 205th Corps, assisted by coalition forces, killed 60 militants in Marja city in Helmand province,” the Afghan and coalition troops said in a joint statement.

The security forces have also seized a huge cache of drugs in the operation that begun May 19 in the province.

According to officials, the Afghan government wants to liberate 10 districts from the clutch of the militants ahead of the presidential polls in the country Aug 20.