(AKI) - At least 10 Taliban fighters have been killed in fighting with Afghan and international troops in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the coalition forces said in a statement on Friday. Other fighters may have been killed or injured in what the US-led coalition forces have described as a "large battle" which began on Thursday and continued into Friday. There are no reports of casualties among the Afghan or international troops, the statement said.The coalition forces stressed that the air strikes on suspected Taliban positions were carried out 12 hours after fighting began in order to allow for civilians to leave the area.