Afghan troops battle mass Taliban assault in Helmand

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28012340



At least 100 Taliban militants have been killed in fighting around four military checkpoints in southern Afghanistan, local officials say.

Afghan troops battle mass Taliban assault in Helmand
25 June 2014 Last updated at 07:14 ET

Five days of clashes in Sangin district in Helmand province left 35 civilians and at least 21 Afghan troops dead.

Tribal elders in the area say over 2,000 families have been displaced.

Three US soldiers died just last week in an explosion in Helmand. Last month, British troops left their last outpost, withdrawing to the Camp Bastion base.

Sangin district in northern Helmand is regarded as a strategic area as drug dealers and Taliban insurgents have been active in the area, and they often work together, reports the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul. The district lies on the border with Pakistan.