NATO-led troops killed a senior Taliban commander in southern Afghanistan, the military alliance said in a statement Sunday.

Mullah Assad was a senior Taliban operational commander for southern Helmand province, and was killed in an operation on Wednesday, NATO said. It did not say where Assad was killed.

Assad was linked to attacks in Helmand's Garmser district, an area of southern Afghanistan rife with insurgent activity, the statement said.

U.S. and NATO-led troops have said they will continue with their operations against the Taliban and other insurgents throughout the cold winter months.

More than 5,200 people, mostly militants, have been killed this year in insurgency-related violence according to a tally of figures compiled by the Associated Press.(the Jakarta Post)