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By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
(Filed: 29/07/2006)
Paratroopers have killed more than 700 Taliban fighters during fierce battles in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.
For 10 weeks troops have been in engaged in daily gunfights for control of towns and villages under the sway of insurgent commanders.

Men from 3Bn the Parachute Regiment, part of the 3,600-strong Helmand Task Force, had been putting "thousands of rounds down," regimental sources said.
One officer said: "We are taking out six here, 10 there or another 20 somewhere else. There are 700 dead and we are only half way through the tour." However, the MoD indicated that "Taliban" casualty figures could include villagers who took on coalition troops once a month or fighters paid to fire a rocket propelled grenade or a machine gun.
Despite the release of the figures, an MoD spokesman said the mission's purpose was providing security for reconstruction. However, he added: "Every time we meet the Taliban we are defeating them and they are taking extraordinary casualties."