KABUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Eight Taliban insurgents were killed Sunday in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan by coalition forces, a police officer told Xinhua.

    Coalition warplanes bombed Joshali village at 7 a.m., where gathered some Taliban militants, in Sangin district in Helmand, killing eight of them, said Mohammad Nabi MullahKhil, the provincial police chief.

    The killed included a local Taliban commander, he added.

    The battle was part of the ongoing massive Operation Mountain Thrust, which involves 11,000 coalition and Afghan forces.

    The forces have launched the second phase of Mountain Thrust since June 15 in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan to wipe out Taliban militants there.

    At least 250 Taliban insurgents have been killed in the operation since June 15. Enditem