Drone strikes kill 17 IS militant in Afghanistan

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 militants of the Islamic State (IS) group were killed in drone attacks in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, the provincial government said Tuesday.

Those among the killed were two foreign nationals affiliated with the IS group and an amount of arms and ammunition were also eliminated after NATO-led coalition forces' unmanned air-vehicles struck IS hideouts in restive Achin and Hasaka Mina districts late on Monday, it said in a statement.

No civilian was hurt during the operations, the statement added.

Afghan forces have beefed up counterinsurgency operations across the country, particularly in the troubled eastern provinces where the IS network is recruiting from locals

The IS group emerged in Nangarhar in early 2015. Enditem