Afghan forces kill 17 militants: Officials

Kabul, March 3 (IANS) Afghan forces have intensified military operations and killed 17 militants in the war-battered country in a single day on Sunday, officials said.The crackdowns have increased in the wake of Taliban's deadly attack on an army base in Shorab area in the southern Helmand province of Aghanistan on Friday, reported Xinhua.The brazen offensive, which started on Friday, left some 50 dead and more than 40 others injured, according to media reports. However, the government forces, in crackdown against militants, stormed Taliban hideouts in Dawlat Abad district of the northern Faryab province early on Sunday, killing six insurgents and injuring two others, army spokesman in the northern region said.Two Taliban senior commanders, Mawlawi Jalal and Mullah Jandullah, were also killed in the raids, he said.Similarly, a Taliban hideout in Shah Walikot district of the southern Kandahar province was also stormed on Sunday, killing eight militants including a key Taliban commander Mullah Tor Naqibullah and injuring nine others, an army statement said.Showdown between security forces and the Taliban fighters in Khawja Ghar district of the northern Takahr province on Sunday morning left three militants dead and injured four others including two militants and two security personnel, district governor Mohammad Omar said.Taliban militants had not commented on the claims made by the officials.
--IANS
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