Afghan and NATO- led troops killed 17 Taliban insurgents during a joint operation in Disho district of southern Helmand province, spokesman for provincial administration Daud Ahmadi said Sunday.

"The operation launched in Baramcha area of Disho district Saturday morning and continued until evening during which 17 Taliban rebels had been killed,"Ahmadi told Xinhua.

Without giving more details, he said that two soldiers sustained injuries during the operation lasted for several hours.

A far-flanged area in Helmand province, Baramcha is famous for serving drug smugglers and drug market in south Afghanistan.

Meantime, a Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi in talks with media via telephone from unknown location confirm the clash but stressed that militants inflicted casualties to security forces.