Roundup: 20 militants, 1 soldier killed in eastern and northern Afghan provinces

A total of 21 people including one Afghan security person and 20 Taliban militants had been killed in the eastern Nangarhar and the northern Takhar provinces since Tuesday night, officials said.

Afghan forces in crackdown on militants stormed a Taliban hideout in the relatively peaceful Takhar province Wednesday morning, killing 10 militants and injuring four others, a local official said.

"Acting upon intelligence report, Afghan police in coordination with army units backed by helicopters raided Taliban hideouts in Pul-e-Momin area of Khawjaghar district, Takhar province this morning, leaving 10 rebels dead and injuring four others," spokesman for the provincial government Sunatullah Timor told reporters.

He added that operations are going on to sweep out all insurgents from the area.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power have yet to make comments.

In a similar conflict, the security forces launched cleanup operations in the restive Nazian district of Nangarhar province Tuesday night and the operations which concluded Wednesday had left 11 people including 10 insurgents and a security man dead.

"Units of Afghan national security forces launched cleanup operations in Nazian district last night and the operation concluded this afternoon during which 10 insurgents and an Afghan security personnel had been killed," spokesman for Nangarhar provincial government Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said.

Two Afghan security personnel sustained injuries, he added.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in contact with media claimed shooting down a military chopper in Nazian district during fighting, a claim rebuffed by Abdulzai as baseless.

Abdulzai rejected the claim, saying that no helicopter was shot down in Nazian district and Taliban militants after leaving 10 dead bodies behind fled the area. Endi