Afghan air force pounds Taliban militants' hideouts in Helmand

Afghan air force Sunday pounded Taliban militants' hideouts in the strategically important Musa Kala district in Helmand province, killing 31 rebels, thus thwarting Taliban's plan to capture the district, officials said.

"Afghan air force backed by the NATO-led Resolute Support launched series of air strikes against Taliban hideouts in Musa Kala district Sunday morning; as a result 31 rebels, including a key commander Mullah Zarqawi, were killed and 30 others sustained injuries," Brigadier Mohammad Rasoul Zazai, an army spokesman in the province, told Xinhua.

The air raids took place amid Taliban's preparations to capture Musa Kala district, he added.

Taliban militants have infiltrated into the district over the past several months and were poised to launch a major offensive to capture the strategically important district in southern Afghanistan.

"With air raids in Musa Kala, all the plans of Taliban militants for the control of the district have been foiled," the official asserted.

Notorious for growing poppies and insurgency, Helmand, with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of the national capital Kabul city, has been regarded as a Taliban hotbed as the hardline outfit has more sway there than in any other parts of the conflict- ridden country.

The air strikes took place following complaints filed by elders of Musa Kala district a couple of days ago. They warned in a gathering that the district would collapse if the central government overlooks Taliban activities there.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power have been engaged in fierce fighting with security forces in Nawzad and Sangin districts of Helmand province over the past several months.

Omar Zawak, spokesman of Helmand's provincial government, has also confirmed killing 31 Taliban militants including their key commander Zarqawi in the air strikes on Sunday.

"The fighting aircraft pounded a hideout of Taliban militants in Musa Kala district Sunday morning, killing 31 Afghan and foreign insurgents including Mullah Zarqawi who had also served as shadowy district governor for Musa Kala district," he said.

Taliban militants have yet to make comments.