Afghan National Security Forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition Forces eliminated 15 Taliban militants in southern restive Afghan province of Helmand on Saturday, said a press release of Interior Ministry issued in Kabul on Sunday.

"Afghan National Police (ANP) in a joint operation with army and U.S.-led forces eliminated 15 militants and wounded five more in Nahr-e-Saraj district on Saturday," the press release added.

Two policemen were martyred while five other police including one officer sustained injuries in the incident, it said.

It added that nine motorbikes and three vehicles were also found by ANP on the ground.

In a separate incident, one would-be suicide bomber was killed by police in neighboring Kandahar province on Sunday.

"A suicide bomber with military uniform attempted to enter an outpost when he was gun downed by the border police in Shorhabak district," the press release noted. "The attacker ignored police warning and was killed while there were no casualties on police."

Notorious as the hotbed of Taliban fighters and poppy den, Helmand has been the scene of increasing militancy and source of instability over the past years while some 4.000 U.S. Marines and Afghan army launched the biggest-ever operation since July 2 to root out militancy there.

Source: Xinhua