Afghan air force kills 32 militants in latest raids

KABUL, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 32 militants were killed in two separate airstrikes in Afghanistan, the country's defense ministry said Monday.

In one raid conducted by Afghan National Army (ANA) Air Force on Sunday against a Taliban's position in Khaki Safed district of western Farah province, 28 insurgents lost their lives and 10 others injured, the ministry said in a statement.

Those among the killed militants' were Sardar Ashkon Bakwahi, Taliban's deputy shadow governor of Farah, and two Taliban divisional commanders Abdul Shokor and Hawaz Gulistani, according to the statement.

Also on Sunday, four Taliban militants were killed following an airstrike in Nahri Saraj district of southern Helmand province.

Three vehicles and six motorcycles together with amount of ammunition and weapons were also destroyed after the air operations, the statement noted.

Afghan security forces and the NATO-led coalition troops have beefed up security operations and airstrikes as militants are attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions during the winter in the mountainous country.

The Taliban militant group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 16 years, has yet to make comments on the report. Enditem