Dozens of Taliban killed in Afghan south-official

KABUL, May 12 (Reuters) Western and Afghan troops have driven the Taliban from a southern area after a week-long battle in which more than 70 militants were killed, an Afghan security official said today.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months after the traditional winter lull and an upsurge of fighting last year, the bloodiest since the Taliban's removal in 2001.

There were no casualties among Afghan and Western troops in the fighting in Nahri Saraj of Helmand province, scene of a series of operations by foreign-led forces in recent weeks, the security official said.

Five Taliban commanders were amongst those killed, the official said, adding there were no casualties among civilians.

''We have driven out the Taliban from the district and it is under our control,'' he said.

Foreign troops led by the US military and NATO as well as the Taliban could not be immediately contacted for comment about the battle.

Nahri Saraj lies 25 km from Sangin district where witnesses said more than 40 civilians were killed last Tuesday in an air strike by US-led coalition troops.

The coalition has confirmed civilian casualties in the battle of Sangin.

Separately, an air attack by Western forces has killed at least seven civilians, including women and children, in Marja district of Helmand early yesterday, witnesses said today.

Seven of the civilians wounded in the attack were brought to a government run hospital in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, they said.

''I know of six or seven deaths in my village,'' a wounded woman said at the hospital.

Afghan officials say US-led troops have killed scores of civilians in the past two months in Afghanistan.

A US commander apologised last week for the deaths of 19 civilians killed by coalition forces in March.

REUTERS SG KP1832