KANDAHAR, July 16: British, Canadian and US troops in Afghanistan pushed on with their biggest joint operation in decades on Sunday as officials announced 37 rebels, six Afghan soldiers and a coalition soldier died in fresh violence.

The US-led coalition in the capital meanwhile flatly denied claims it had killed scores of civilians in air strikes in southern Helmand province’s Nawzad area, accusing the Taliban of lying for propaganda reasons.

Elsewhere in Helmand — in Sangin district — Afghan, British, Canadian and US troops pushed on with a major drive against Taliban fighters that was launched early on Saturday.

Helmand police announced meanwhile that 27 Taliban were killed in a battle in Sangin late on Saturday and eight more in another clash in the same district. Two more were killed in Uruzgan province, a provincial official said.

Sangin has seen regular clashes with Taliban fighters who are said to have joined forces with drugs barons in Helmand.

A British base there has also been attacked several times, ranging from major assaults to potshots.—AFP