Afghan forces bust terror gang in southern province

Personnel of Afghan law enforcement agencies had busted a terror group in the country's southern Kandahar province, the provincial government said on Tuesday.

"Personnel of National Directorate for Security (NDS) has busted a four-member terror group of Taliban outfit in surrounding areas of Kandahar province. The detainees named Hazrat-e-Bilal, Mohammad Seddiq, Ahmadullah and Sheer Ali," it said in a statement.

The captives had been involved in targeted killings against local officials and pro-government leaders, it noted.

Some 850 civilians were killed and over 570 others were wounded by targeted killings and attacks last year across Afghanistan.

Also on Tuesday, one policeman and five militants were killed and three police and four militants were wounded after Taliban attacked a security checkpoint in Ishkamish District, northern Takhar province, provincial government spokesman Khalil Aseer told Xinhua.

In another development, eight militants became the victim of their own bomb after a suicide jacket of a Taliban fighter went off accidently in Dashti Arch District of northern Kunduz province.

The killed militants planned to conduct a coordinated attack in the provincial capital of Kunduz city. Their vehicle were also destroyed by the blast, the Interior Ministry said.

The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants recently as spring and summer known as fighting season is drawing near. Endit