The NATO-led military alliance on Saturday handed over security responsibility of three violent districts in the southern province of Helmand to Afghan security forces, an Afghan official said, dpa reported.
The alliance has been battling insurgents in the districts of Marja, Nad Ali and Nawa in Helmand, which is a Taliban stronghold.
The hand-over ceremony was attended by senior government and military officials, the provincial governor's office said in a statement.
Afghan forces have started to take security responsibility of certain parts of the country ahead of the 2014 withdrawal of international troops.
Helmand province is the world's largest producer of drugs.
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