Afghan army defuses 24 landmines in southern provinces

The Afghan National Army personnel discovered and defused 24 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines in two southern provinces, a military statement said on Tuesday.

"The engineering teams of ANA Corps 205 Attal during military operations in southern Uruzgan and Zabul provinces discovered and defused 24 improvised bombs and landmines," the army Corps based in the region said in the statement.

Seven Taliban militants were also wounded during the operations, the statement said, adding the timely finding of the IEDs has foiled major terror attacks and saved the provinces from expected tragedies.

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

The Taliban militant group has been using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflicted casualties on civilians, according to military officials.

On Thursday, 13 civilians were killed after a vehicle touched off an IED in northern Baghlan province. Enditem