Seven suspected Taliban insurgents, including four local insurgent leaders, were killed Sunday in a special operation in the Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand, a provincial government spokesman said, Xinhua reported.
"A unit of Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) launched a special operation on a Taliban hideout in Mirmandab area of Gereshk district in the wee hours Sunday," spokesman Daud Ahmadi told Xinhua.
Ahmadi said an exchange of fire broke out shortly after the NDS or intelligence agency forces arrived at the compound, leaving seven insurgents dead. Four local insurgent leaders, namely Malawi Mansour, Abdul Raziq, Mullah Maluk and Shekari, were among the dead.
No members of the security force or civilians were injured in the raid, he added.
Taliban, who launched in May 2011 an offensive against Afghan and NATO forces, has yet to make comments.