Afghan forces kill 22 militants

The Afghan security forces killed 22 Taliban militants and captured 16 others in multiple operations across the conflict-ridden country over the past 24 hours, a statement said Sunday.

"Afghan police backed by the army and the NATO-led coalition forces carried out several cleanup operations in Uruzgan, Kandahar, Ghazni, Kunar and Herat provinces over the past 24 hours, killing 22 armed Taliban insurgents," Xinhua quoted an interior ministry statement as saying.

Afghanistan's intelligence agency National Directorate for Security (NDS) said 16 terrorists were arrested since Saturday. While 13 terrorists were arrested in Zabul province, three others were arrested in Paktika province.

An official said the security forces raided a Taliban hideout in Kunar province Sunday morning, killing six militants including a group commander.

"Security forces backed by air force stormed a Taliban hideout in Shigal district at 10 a.m., killing six rebels including their commander Mullah Mursalin," district governor Abdul Zahir Safi said.

There were no casualties on the security forces side, he added.

The Taliban militants in retaliation captured a 12-year-old boy and executed him on charge of spying for security forces, Safi further said. He also pointed out that the boy had no link with the government forces.