Afghan soldiers

Some 13 militants have been killed in latest security operations in Afghanistan, the country's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) conducted a series of cleanup operations in Laghman, Takhar, Kunduz, Faryab, Sari Pul, Jawzjan, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Logar, Ghazni and Helmand provinces over the past 24 hours. As a result 13 armed insurgents were killed, 10 wounded and one was arrested by the ANSF," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Ministry of Interior Affairs appreciates the ANSF operations to eliminate the terrorists' sanctuaries and is a good step toward improving the security and stability." the statement said.

The ANSF also seized weapons and defused several roadside bombs planted by the militants, the statement said, without elaborating the casualties of the security forces.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, has yet to make comments.

Source: XINHUA