47 militants killed in Afghan anti-terror operations

At least 47 militants have been killed in the eastern and northern regions of Afghanistan over the past 24 hours as the government forces stepped up anti-terror operations in the war-battered country, officials said on Saturday.

The security forces killed 25 insurgents and captured a bastion of Taliban militants in Khawja Sabzposh district of the Faryab province since Friday, a police spokesman was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Four Taliban group commanders including the notorious Mawlawi Yusuf and Mullah Yar Mohammad were among those killed in the raids.

A total of 23 more insurgents sustained injuries in the operations which lasted for several hours, the official said.

And in an identical operation against Taliban insurgents, the government forces killed nine militants in Andar and Deyak districts of the Ghazni province since Friday morning, provincial government spokesman Aref Nuri said.

Similarly, the security forces in operations against Islamic State (IS) group in the Nangarhar province killed 13 armed militants and injured several others in Achin and Haska Minda districts, spokesman for provincial government Attaullah Khogiani said.

Security officials, including Defence Ministry spokesman General Dawlat Waziri said that the government forces would continue to mount pressure on militants in winter to weaken the insurgents ahead of spring and summer commonly known as "fighting season" in Afghanistan.

--IANS

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