10 militants killed in Afghanistan within day

Up to 10 militants had been killed during military operations and clashes across Afghanistan within the last 24 hours, authorities said on Saturday.

"Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) conducted several cleanup operations in surrounding areas of Nangarhar, Kapisa, Ghazni, Paktia, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Badghis, Takhar and Helmand provinces over the last 24 hours. As a result, six armed militants were killed, two wounded and seven others detained by the ANSF," the Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement issued here.

The security force also found and seized weapons, the statement said, adding that three army personnel also lost their lives in separate incidents over the same period.

Furthermore, four militants were killed and three others wounded after army soldiers repelled a militants' attack on security checkpoints in Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz province Friday night, an army source told Xinhua earlier Saturday.

He said no member of army troopers was harmed following the attack.

The Taliban militants, who ruled the country before they were ousted in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, staging ambushes and suicide attacks, killing combatants as well as civilians.

The Taliban has yet to make comments. Endit