4 insurgents killed, 12 detained in Afghan forces operations

Security forces during operations have killed four insurgents and detained 12 others in different parts of the Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, Afghan Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. "Afghan National Police (ANP), backed by army and NATO-led Coalition forces, launched four joint operations in surrounding areas of the Kandahar, Helmand, Logar and Paktika provinces over the past 24 hours, killing four armed insurgents and arresting 12 other suspected insurgents," the ministry said in a statement that provides daily operational updates. A handful of weapons and ammunition were also found and seized by the forces, it said. Policemen with ANP also arrested a man with three remote control mines, who had connection with a Taliban affiliated group "Haqqani network" in Kandahar city, capital of southern Kandahar province on Monday, according to the statement. Three smugglers with 104kg opium and 58kg hashish were also detained by ANP in Spin Boldak District of Kandahar province, it said. Afghan officials often use the word "insurgents" for referring to Taliban. Taliban militants, who stepped up their attacks on Afghan and NATO-led troops since a spring rebel offensive was launched in May this year in the war-ravaged country, have yet to make comments. Afghan and NATO-led coalition forces kept up pressure on insurgents all over the country as over 360 insurgents had been killed and around 430 detained by joint forces in September alone, according to the statement.