26 Afghan rebels killed within 24 hours

KABUL - About 26 Taliban insurgents were killed and 34 others detained in the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Wednesday morning. ?

"Afghan police, army and the NATO-led coalition forces launched seven joint cleanup operations in Kabul, Takhar, Kandahar, Logar, Ghazni, Helmand and Nimroz provinces, killing 18 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

"Separately, eight insurgents including two Pakistani citizens were killed by their own explosives while they were planting a roadside bomb in Mahtarlam city, capital of eastern Laghman province Tuesday night," it said.

The joint forces also detained 34 armed suspects and injured three others during the above operations, it said.

They also seized weapons, the statement said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

However, the Taliban insurgent group, which announced the launching of an annual spring offensive from May 3 against Afghan and NATO forces, has not made comment.