Afghan government forces have rescued at least 30 people from captivity at the hands of the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand.

Axar.az reports citing Press TV.

Afghan and foreign special forces launched the rescue operation on Sunday, raiding a Taliban-run “prison” in Helmand’s Nawzad district.

Police officials said 20 of those rescued had been taken captive by the Taliban militant group because of helping the government or had been family members of Afghan army and security forces.

Among the rescued captives were also four children aged under 12 and two policemen.

The Taliban claimed in a statement that those rescued had been awaiting “trial” over accusations of robbery, kidnapping, personal disputes, and other crimes.

During the Sunday operation, one Taliban militant was killed and two others were wounded, police said.

Afghanistan is engulfed by violence and many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops. The United States and its NATO allies invaded and occupied the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001, which toppled a Taliban regime.

Over the past 16 years, the Taliban have been carrying out militancy across Afghanistan, killing and displacing government officials, security forces, and civilians.