Afghan National Army, backed by the air strike by NATO forces, killed and injured more than 100 Taliban insurgents in an over-night operation launched Saturday in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, the police said on Sunday.

"At least 100 Taliban militants have been killed and injured in the clean up operation in the Jalai district so far," provincial police chief Syed Aqa Saqib told Xinhua, adding "25 bodies of insurgents were buried in one grave in the Narghan village of Jalai."

He said that one soldier from Afghan National Army and one local police were also killed in the clash but there were no casualties on the civilians.

Meanwhile, Taliban purported spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi from an unknown location said that only four insurgents were killed and three others were wounded while the militants had destroyed two military vehicles.

"Actually, many local civilians were killed in the bombard by NATO helicopters," Ahmadi added.

The fresh operation came in the wake of a militants attack in Jalai district of Kandahar on Friday, in which six persons including four policemen were killed.

Militancy and conflicts have claimed more than 5,700 people's lives including 1,200 civilians so far this year in Afghanistan.

(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2007)