Gun battle between Taliban insurgents and security guards of a construction company left 75 dead on both sides and injured dozens others in Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan, provincial governor Gulab Mangal said Saturday, Xinhua reported.
"In the clash, initiated by Taliban on Sangin-Gereshk road on Thursday and continued until Friday afternoon 25 guards of the company and up to 50 Taliban militants were killed," Mangal told a news conference here.
He also added that dozens others from both sides sustained injuries in the gun battle lasted for 12 hours.
Without specifying any name, the governor said that " neighboring countries that do not want to see development in Afghanistan are behind this conspiracy."
Governor Mangal also confirmed that several vehicles and machinery of the company were destroyed in the battle by Taliban.
However, he did not identify the name of the company, saying it was a local firm, busy in construction of roads.
Previously, Helmand's deputy to provincial police chief Kamaludin Khan said that 100 Taliban insurgents raided the company on Thursday killing 30 and wounding 17 personnel of the firm.
He also added that security forces had been dispatched to the area to ensure security for the company to continue its duty.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi claimed of responsibility and in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed location said 12 trucks and heavy machins of the company were set on fire, besides killing some 50 security guards of the company.