17 Afghan militants killed in operations within day

About 17 Taliban militants were killed while 16 others detained in operations carried out by Afghan security forces within the last 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said Monday morning. "Afghan National Police, army and the National Directorate for Security (NDS) launched several anti-terrorism joint operations in Nangarhar, Laghman, Zabul, Wardak, Khost, Paktika and Helmand provinces, killing 17 armed Taliban members and detaining 16 others over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates. They also found and seized weapons, the statement said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces. The security forces have stepped up efforts to clear the militants across Afghanistan as the country is preparing for the presidential and provincial council elections slated for April 5 this year. The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, has yet to make comments.