29 militants killed in Afghan operations

KABUL - Up to 29 militants have been killed and 29 others wounded in military operations in the past 24 hours, in the latest raids against insurgency in the country, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Monday. ? ?

"Afghan National Police (ANP) in partnership with army and the NATO-led coalition forces carried out several cleanup operations in Nangarhar, Laghman, Badakhshan, Kandahar, Zabul, Logar, Ghazni, Paktiya, Herat, Badghis and Helmand provinces, killing 29 armed Taliban militants during the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates.

Twenty-nine militants were wounded and six were detained by the ANP, it said.

The statement did not disclose if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

The ANP also found and defused 10 landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Kunar, Kapisa, Faryab and Zabul provinces, the statement added.

The Afghan army and police, backed by NATO-led coalition troops, have intensified operations against Taliban and other militant groups recently. But the insurgent groups responded by bombings.

On Sunday, Taliban carried out three suicide bombings killing four Afghan security personnel in eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Logar.