At last 40 Taliban militants have been killed in clashes and gun battle in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province over the past week, a local official said on Monday.

"Taliban stormed Shah Kariz village in Musa Qala district last Monday and so far over 40 rebels had been killed," district chief Mullah Abdul Salam told Xinhua.

Salam said seven police also lost their lives during the fighting and 18 other police personnel were wounded.

The district chief said Shah Kariz village is a strategic point in the district.

Notorious for poppy growing and militancy, the Helmand province has been branded the stronghold of Taliban insurgents despite the presence of over 110,000-strong NATO-led forces in the post- Taliban Afghanistan.

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