KABUL
Afghan security forces killed 60 suspected militants, wounding 46 others in operations across 12 provinces in Afghanistan over the last 24 hours, Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
“The operations were conducted in collaboration with Afghan national army and intelligence service forces in the north and southern provinces of Afghanistan,” the statement said.
It also said that several suspects were detained while a large cache of weapons and ammunition were seized.
Meanwhile, Defense Ministry Spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said at least seven army troops were killed during counter-terrorism operations.
“Seven soldiers lost their precious lives in direct firing and IED [Improvised Explosive Devices] explosions during fight against terrorists,” Azimi said. “We offer condolences to their families.”
He further added that 27 rounds of IEDs and huge amount of ammunitions were discovered.
Taliban militants have intensified their attacks in city centers and on Afghan security forces’ outposts as part of their spring offensive which kicked off in April.
In 2015, Afghanistan has seen unprecedented violence. The Afghan Ministry of Defense terms it as Taliban’s attempt to gain greater leverage in peace talks with the Afghan government expected to resume this summer.
