Dozen Taliban killed in Afghan US-led raids

US-led troops and war planes killed around a dozen Taliban in battle in a southern Afghan district where major anti-insurgent operations are under way, the US military said Tuesday.

The rebels were killed Monday in southern Helmand province's Garmser district, which borders Pakistan and is said to be a nest of militants involved in an extremist insurgency hobbling Afghanistan.

Troops came under fire while searching compounds in Garmser for a Taliban commander involved in supplying weapons to rebels, the coalition said in a statement.

The troops returned fire and "around a dozen militant extremists were killed," it said.

Weapons and ammunition were also found, the force said, without giving further details.