LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 60 militants have been killed, and one dozen others wounded in clashes and airstrikes in Afghanistan's restive Helmand province, the military said Sunday.

On Saturday, Taliban militants' shadow district chief of Helmand, Mullah Shafiullah alias Mawlawi Nazim, and his five men were killed and four militants wounded after Afghan Air Force launched airstrikes in surrounding areas of the province, Afghan army's Miwand 215 Corps said in a statement.

In addition, 54 Taliban militants had been killed and eight others wounded during separate airstrikes and clashes with army in Sorgodar and Bushran, on outskirts of provincial capital Lashkar Gah as well as Naway-i-Barakzai, Garmser and Nad Ali districts from early Friday to Saturday morning, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement reaching Xinhua on Sunday.

"Those among the killed militants were a Taliban divisional commander Abdul Salaam and three militants' bomb experts," the statement read.

Eight Taliban's control and command centers, big amount of weapons, vehicles and several rounds of militants guided rockets were destroyed during airstrikes, according to the statement.

Helmand province, notorious for poppy growing, is a known Taliban stronghold.

The militant group has yet to make comments on the report. Enditem

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