Alwaght-Afghan security forces backed by army troops have killed 27 Taliban militants during cleanup operations in two southern provinces of the war-wrecked country, as Press TV reports.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday that eleven militants, including a senior commander identified as Mohammad Agha, were killed in a series of operations carried out in Nad Ali district of Helmand Province, located approximately 650 kilometers (403 miles) southwest of the capital, Kabul.
The statement added that six more terrorists were also injured during the offensives.
Additionally, Afghan forces killed 16 Taliban members in anti-terror operations in Maiwand district of the neighboring Kandahar Province on Friday.
The government forces also confiscated light and heavy weaponry as well as several rounds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the operations.
The statement did not mention whether there were casualties on the side of the Afghan forces. The Taliban have not yet made any comments on the operations.
The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York City as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror to eliminate the al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Although the US-led invasion removed the Taliban from power, insecurity continues to grapple the country, and many Afghans believe that Washington has not succeeded in establishing peace and stability in the country.
The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, will remain in Afghanistan in what is said to be a support mission.
