3 militants, including 2 Haqqani members, detained in E. Afghanistan

Three militants, including two members of Haqqani network, had been captured in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost, the command of Afghan Special Forces said on Saturday.

"One unit of Afghan Special Operation Force conducted an operation in Lakan village, Matun district on Friday, detaining three militants," it said in a statement.

The trio was busy in building explosive devices in a compound before being held, the statement noted.

As a Taliban-linked group of militants, the Haqqani network mostly operating in eastern provinces and capital Kabul, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces.

The network, which was designated as terrorist group by the United States in 2012, has yet to make comments.

Earlier Saturday, one child was killed and two civilians were wounded after a mortar shell struck a house in Yaqoubi district, Khost province.

The incident occurred when Taliban militants attacked an army base in the area, sparking a clash lasting for hours, an army source, Capitan Abdullah Khan, told Xinhua, adding that one army soldier was also wounded during the clash.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since early April when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different areas of the country. Endit