Afghan forces kill 22 Taliban militants across country
Iran Press TV
Wed Dec 24, 2014 5:0PM GMT
Afghan security forces backed by army troopers have killed 22 Taliban militants and detained five others during separate cleanup operations across the war-wracked country.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the militants were killed and arrested during a series of operations carried out in Badakhshan, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Logar, Nangarhar, Paktika, Parwan, Urozgan and Zabul provinces over the past 24 hours.
The statement, however, did not mention whether there were any casualties on the side of the Afghan forces.
The Taliban have not yet made any comments on the issue.
Afghan forces also confiscated light and heavy weaponry, and defused six rounds of improvised explosive devices during operations in Ghazni and Kandahar provinces.
On December 22, Afghan security forces launched a massive offensive against Taliban militants in the country's eastern province of Kunar, killing 21 terrorists.
The security operations come as Afghanistan has witnessed a spike in militant attacks, including assaults targeting foreigners in the capital Kabul over the past few weeks.
On December 14, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the new wave of terror attacks against Afghans and foreigners, calling on all religious, political, and social leaders to undertake serious efforts to fight militancy.
The Taliban militant group has vowed to escalate the attacks on Afghan forces and US-led troops, their bases, diplomatic missions, and vehicle convoys before the foreign forces exit the country at the end of 2014.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the country despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops.
MP/HMV/SS
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