Afghan police and the U.S.-led coalition forces killed five militants in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, a coalition statement said Wednesday.

Three vehicles traveled at high speed toward a checkpoint manned by Afghan police and coalition soldiers late Tuesday near Zara Kalay village in Maruf district, the statement said.

Once the vehicles stopped, eight male insurgents exited the vehicles and began firing upon the checkpoint, it said, adding that Afghan police and coalition forces returned fire, killing five rebels.

There were no casualties of Afghan police and coalition soldiers.

Kandahar has been a hotbed of Taliban militants, who clash with Afghan and foreign troops frequently.

Due to rising Taliban-linked insurgency, over 1,100 persons, mostly Taliban rebels, have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of this year.

Source: Xinhua