Joint forces of NATO and Afghanistan have killed 12 suspected militants and two children in one of their latest operations which aim is to reclaim Musa Qala, a southern town controlled by the Taliban.

General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the local Defense Ministry, stated on Saturday that the joint troops had surrounded the town in Helmand province Friday. Approximately 300 civilians left the area before the assault took place. The two children died as their car was caught in an exchange of fire and the Taliban used the vehicle as a shield, the spokesman said. Five civilians were also wounded.

"In this operation so far, 12 terrorists were killed, one captured and a number of weapons and ammunitions were seized," Azimi said.

According to the U.S. military reports, several Taliban militants were killed, including a senior commander. The latter, who has been involved in more than a few attacks against U.S. and NATO forces, was killed in an air strike that hit on Friday.

Musa Qala was taken by the Taliban fighters in February after the British troops pulled out and left the security of the town to the locals. It had become a base for "foreign terrorists," Azimi said. "Hundreds of terrorists had massed there."

According to Taliban estimations, they have about 2,000 armed militants that will defend the town located in the opium-rich province of Helmand. Musa Qala and its surroundings have seen the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan this year.