As the Taliban rebels were pulling out from their former stronghold of Musa Qala, intense battles took place. According to the latest report from the Defence Ministry, at least 50 Taliban fighters were killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday as they clashed with coalition forces.

The Taliban militants were fleeing Musa Qala after they lost control of the town in Sangin district of Helmand province, said Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Defense Ministry.

Three commanders and three foreign fighters were among the victims.

Musa Qala had been taken by the Taliban fighters in February after the British troops pulled out and left the security of the town to the locals.

The Taliban fighters controlled Musa Qala, which became the only significant town under their rule, for approximately 10 months but were forced to withdraw by an Afghan, British, US and Estonia forces joint operation. The coalition forces began the siege of the town last week on Friday.

Meanwhile, in the neighbor city of Kandahar a suicide bomber targeted Afghan army soldiers in the infamous dangerous district 5, police chief Agha Saqib reported on Wednesday. There report offered no details on the casualties of the attack. In 2007 Afghanistan has already witnessed 140 suicide attacks.

The governor of the troubled province of Helmand, Asadullah Wafa, said that he spoke to officials from Kabul and agreed to form a delegation that would visit Musa Qala and Thursday to hand out 5,000 tons of aid, including wheat and blankets, to families who fled the fighting and are now starting to return, CNN reported.

The reports showed that at least 300 civilians left the town before the fire exchange begun. There were probably many more that left after the coalition forces began the attack.  

Musa Qala and its surroundings have seen the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan this year.
Several Taliban militants were killed on Sunday and 10 others were captured around Musa Qalah, according to NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

On Saturday, the coalition forces killed 12 suspected militants and two children, who were caught in the fire exchange. The Taliban used the vehicle as a shield, the spokesman for the local Defense Ministry said.