Roundup: 21 Afghan militants, 7 security personnel killed in 2 days

Afghan militancy and counter-militancy have claimed the lives of 21 anti-government militants and seven personnel of security forces across the war-ravaged country since Monday morning, officials said Tuesday.

In the latest onslaught against militants, 11 Taliban fighters were killed in the western Badghis province on Tuesday, a senior security official in the western region, Mohammad Juma Adil said.

"A group of Taliban militants were attempting to attack security checkpoints in Morichaq district of Badghis province early Tuesday but the security forces acting upon intelligence report laid ambush and killed 11 insurgents including their commander Mullah Farid," Adil told Xinhua.

According to the official, the killed Taliban commander mullah Farid was commanding Taliban fighters in Faryab and Badghis provinces and his death would deal a major blow to the insurgents in the western region of the conflict-ridden country.

According to the official, 14 more militants sustained injuries in the firefight, which lasted for a while.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry, in a statement released here Tuesday, reported killing 10 armed insurgents during series of operations conducted in parts of the conflict-ridden country.

According to the statement, 10 Taliban fighters have been killed as the result of operations which have covered parts of Nangarhar, Kunduz, Helmand, Faryab, Balkh and Paktia provinces over the past 24 hours.

Seven more insurgents, according to the statement have been injured during the operation which is still ongoing.

The defense ministry, in a separate statement released Tuesday, confirmed losing seven soldiers during crackdown against the enemies of the country over the past 24 hours.

Both the Taliban and government forces, according to Afghan military analysts would do their best to gain more grounds and consolidate their positions ahead of snowfall in the mountainous country. Endit