U.S.-led coalition forces kill 'several insurgents' in southern Afghanistan

U.S.-led coalition forces killed several Taliban militants after coming under attack in volatile southern Afghanistan, a coalition statement said Friday.

The troops were searching for a Taliban insurgent involved in weapons trafficking in Helmand province when militants opened fire Wednesday with machine guns, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades, the coalition said.

The troops responded, killing several insurgents and wounding a woman who was not involved in the hostilities.

"A coalition forces medical specialist immediately tended to the wound, ensuring she was stabilized before transporting her ... to a medical facility for further treatment," said coalition spokesman Army Maj. Chris Belcher.

Helmand, the biggest opium poppy-producing region in the world, has been the front line of the bloodiest fighting between international security forces and Afghan insurgents in the recent years. The attack Wednesday occurred in Kajaki district.

More than 8,000 people were killed in the insurgency in 2007, the deadliest year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.