Afghanistan: 57 insurgents killed in 24 hours

At least 57 armed insurgents have been killed by Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the past 24 hours in various parts of the country, the Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) confirmed on Saturday.

The ministry stated that at least eight others were injured during the ground and air strikes conducted in as many as 15 different provinces of the country, Tolo News reported.

The operations were carried out in the provinces of Kunar, Helmand, Baghlan, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Herat, Ghazni, Badakhshan, Urozgan, Nimroz, Paktia, Faryab, Khost, Sar-e-Pul and Logar.

The MoD further stated that enemy shelters and weapons were also destroyed during air strikes conducted in the province of Farah.

The ministry, however, abstained from providing details on civilian or security force casualties.

Meanwhile, the US Defence Department on Saturday revealed the identity of the soldier who died from an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Helmand province on Thursday as being 23-year-old James A. Slape, a resident of Morehead City, North Carolina.

Slape was part of the 60th Troop Command of the North Carolina Army National Guard of Washington, North Carolina.