NATO and the U.S.-led coalition troops killed a known Taliban leader and at least 10 other Taliban militants in the southern Uruzgan province on Tuesday, the military said in a statement.

The joint forces conducted an air strike at 1:01 a.m. near Bagh- Khosak in the Khod Valley with three 500 pound bombs, killing "a known mid-level Taliban commander" and "10 to 15 additional Taliban militants," it said.

The commander and militants had previously conducted ambush attacks on Afghan and NATO soldiers, it added.

NATO troops "are actively and aggressively extending the security reach of the Afghan government," a spokesman for the forces said.

Uruzgan has been a hotbed of Taliban insurgents, who clash with Afghan and NATO troops frequently.

Due to rising Taliban-linked violence this year, Afghanistan has plunged into the worst spate of bloodshed since the Taliban regime was toppled down nearly five years ago.

Over 2,400 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed in this volatile country this year.

Source: Xinhua