Afghan police forces with support of international troops air strike Tuesday evening put down Taliban assault in southern Afghan province of Uruzgan killing 35 militants, Juma Gul Humat, the provincial police chief told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Humat said it occurred at around 9 p.m. local time (GMT1630) when over 100 Taliban militants surrounded the Dehrawud district of Uruzgan province and launched attack from all directions to the centre of the district.

"Afghan police forces engaged Taliban insurgents with air support of international troops," he said, "the fighting was going on till 3 a.m. (GMT2230) in the morning of Wednesday."

The police chief said "over 35 militants were killed in the clashes and nine of them were identified as local commanders."

"Battle also left three policemen dead and six more wounded," he said, "Taliban militants have been driven out of the district."

Meanwhile, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, the purported Taliban spokesman confirmed the outfits launched attacks on Dehrawud district saying they destroyed three of the police posts and killed 17 policemen after fighting.

South Afghanistan has seen the surge and comeback of Taliban activities as the outfits kept launching attacks on Lashkar Gha city, the capital of Helmand province since the beginning of Octorber leaving hundreds dead including police, civilians and militants.

Conflicts and Taliban-related militancy have claimed the lives of more than 4,700 people mostly insurgents, according to officials so far this year in war-torn Afghanistan.  

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2008)