Air raids conducted by the U.S. military against suspected Taliban fighters in the restive Helmand province in south Afghanistan on Monday killed over 50 militants, a local official said.

"More than 50 Taliban militants were discussing their future plan of action inside a mosque in Kajaki district Monday morning at 10 a.m. local time when the U.S. aircrafts attacked them killing 50 on the spot," deputy provincial governor Mullah Amir Akhundzada told Xinhua.

He also said that some four locals working for Taliban militants were also killed in the bombardments.

More than 350 people have lost their lives in Taliban-linked insurgency over the past two weeks mostly in the southern region.

Source: Xinhua