KABUL, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- NATO war planes killed 10 Taliban militants in Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, provincial police chief Nabi Jan Mullahkhil said on Friday.

    After receiving credible information, NATO air forces bombardeda Taliban hideout in Sangin district on Thursday night, killing 10militants and injuring five others, Mullahkhil told Xinhua.

    Afghan security forces recovered a lot of weapons and ammunition from the battlefield after the bombardment, he added.

    NATO troops in Afghanistan confirmed there was a clash between the troops and Taliban militants in the district, but declined to provide more details.

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

    Due to rising Taliban-linked violence, over 300 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in Afghanistan this year. ¡¡