KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition forces have killed 16 anti-government militants including a key Taliban movement commander in southern Afghanistan, said the coalition force Saturday.

    "Coalition forces engaged Taliban leadership with joint fires, killing a known Taliban commander and 15 other militants on August 25 in the central Khody valley of Uruzgan province," said a statement of the coalition troops.

    It did not disclose the name of the commander, only saying that the commander and his associates were involved in conducting attacks against Afghan, coalition and NATO troops in the southern region.

    However, locals say that a less known Taliban commander namely Mullah Juma Gul and 15 others were killed in the neighboring Helmand province on Thursday. Taliban militias have yet to make any comment.

    Taliban-linked insurgence has claimed the lives of more than 1,900 people mostly militants over the past eight months in Afghanistan. Enditem