Afghan and international troops killed 30 militants in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, the US military said Sunday. The soldiers had been on patrol in the volatile province late Saturday when they spotted militants in the Nahr Surkh district, US Forces Afghanistan said in a statement.
"The combined forces engaged the militants with small-arms fire, mounted weapons and supporting fire, killing 30 militants and destroying two militant vehicles," it said. No casualties were reported to the soldiers or civilians, it said.The force did not identify the militants it said it had killed. However Taliban militants and their allies are active in Helmand which is also the main producer of Afghanistan's illegal opium.