Afghan military kills 42 insurgents within day: gov't

The Afghan security forces have killed 42 suspected Taliban insurgents in countryside since early Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"During the past 24 hour, Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted joined offensive operations in order to protect lives and properties of people, defeating the insurgents in different parts of the country that as a result, 42 armed insurgents were killed, 36 were wounded and nine others were arrested," the ministry said in a statement.

The joint forces also discovered and confiscated rounds of light and heavy ammunition and defused 25 landmines over the same period, the statement added.

But it did not mention if there were any casualties on the side of the security forces.

The Afghan security forces had beefed up security operations recently as militants were attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions ahead of winter in the mountainous country.

The Taliban responded by bombing and armed attacks.

Earlier on Thursday morning, a local leader named Narand Singh of Afghanistan's Hindu community was shot and killed by unidentified armed men in Kunduz city, capital of northern Kunduz province, Mafuzullah Akbari, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua, adding authorities have launched an investigation into the case. Endit