By Xinhua,
Kabul : The U.S.-led Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed several suspected militants and destroyed their hideouts in the troubled southern and eastern region, a press release of the military alliance issued here Tuesday said.
“Several militants were killed and one detained during two separate Coalition forces’ operations to disrupt anti-government militant operations in Paktia and Helmand provinces on June 2,” the press release said.
The press release said the Coalition forces searched compounds in Garmser District, Helmand province, targeting a militant network that has facilitated foreign fighter attacks against Afghan government and Coalition forces.
Coalition forces, according to the press release, were engaged by several groups of militants during their search and responded with small-arms fire, mortars and air strikes, killing the militants.
However, it did not say the exact number of the militants killed during the operation but added the troops found and destroyed a number of arms and ammunition during the engagement.
In a separate operation, the Coalition forces, had searched several compounds in Zormat District of Paktia province in east Afghanistan and detained a militant.
In a similar conflict between Afghan police and militants in Paktia’s neighboring Paktika province on Monday, four armed militants were killed, provincial government’s spokesman Ghamai Khan Mohammadyar said.
The firefights between Taliban insurgents and Afghan police elsewhere in the southern Helmand and Zabul provinces have left eight militants and one police dead over the past two days.
Militancy and spiraling violence have claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people including militants, military personnel and civilians so far this year in Afghanistan.