47 Taliban militants were killed and 18 wounded in southern Afghanistan, an officer told Xinhua on Saturday.

As part of the ongoing Operation Mountain Thrust, coalition and Afghan forces on Friday night attacked a district center of the Taliban in Sarmurqhab near Tirinkot, capital of the southern Uruzgan province, said Rahmatullah Raofi, a regional commander of the southern Afghan forces.

22 Taliban insurgents were killed, and 18 wounded in the operation, he said, adding three coalition soldiers were wounded.

27 machine-guns and five rocket launchers were seized.

Also on Friday night, coalition and Afghan forces killed 25 Taliban fighters and arrested 6 in Panjwyi district in the southern Kandahar province, Raofi said.

One Afghan soldier was wounded.

Over 11,000 coalition and Afghan forces launched the major phase of Mountain Thrust on June 15 in southern Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces to wipe out Taliban militants there.

At least 180 Taliban insurgents have been killed in the massive operation since June 15.

Source: Xinhua