Roundup: Afghan forces kill 33 insurgents, 29 lay down arms in 2 days

Afghan forces have killed 33 Taliban militants during series of operations across the country, with 29 others laying down arms in the northern Badakhshan province over the past two days.

Units of police backed by the army had killed 33 militants during series of operations across the country over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement released here Monday. "A total of 33 armed Taliban militants have been killed over the past 24 hours during operations conducted in Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Sar-e-Pul, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Paktiya, Herat and Farah provinces," the statement said.

The police backed by the national army have also wounded three militants and captured seven others during the operations, the statement said.

However, it didn't say if there were casualties on security forces.

In another incident 29 Taliban rebels laid down arms and surrendered to the government in northern Badakhshan province on Monday, the Interior Ministry said in a separate statement. "Eleven Taliban militants including two local commanders named Eidi Mohammad and Abdul Khabir renounced violence and joined the peace process in Tagab district, Badakhshan province on Monday," the statement said.

The former insurgents also handed over five AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher and rounds of ammunition to the police during a ceremony, the statement noted. A day earlier on Sunday, 18 Taliban fighters, including their commander Safiullah Khan, laid down their weapons and joined the government-backed peace process at the same district, the Interior Ministry said in the statement.

Taliban militants fighting who stepped up their activities since late December when the NATO-led troops ended combat mission in Afghanistan have yet to make comment. Endit