(KUNA) -- The US-led coalition troops said they had killed several Taliban militants during an operation in the southern province of Helmand.A statement from the coalition forces' Bagram base on Friday said the operation was conducted to arrest a known Taliban leader and disrupt their network in the area. The troops received fire from the militants during the search mission in Kajaki district. In exchange of fire, several militants were killed while four more people, suspected of having links with the insurgents, were taken into custody. In the statement, the coalition troops acknowledged injuries to one civilian who was not involved in the attack on the troops. Locals in the area or Afghan police or other officials could not be reached for comments immediately. Earlier, two Afghan legislators had told media that more than 30 people were killed in an air strike by the NATO troops in the same province. However, NATO officials, in their statement, had said that only Taliban militants were killed in the ground and air offensive.