Afghan forces kill 16 militants amid Taliban offensive

Afghan security forces in operations against the Taliban outfit have killed 16 militants since Monday while the Taliban militants launched heavy offensive in the Yamgan district in the northeast Badakhshan province. Ten Taliban militants have been killed as government forces stormed Taliban hideouts in Pachiragam district of the eastern Nangarhar province late Monday night, the Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Tuesday. "Since launching the joint operations of police and army in parts of Pachiragam district Monday night, 10 Taliban rebels have been killed and six others injured," the statement said. Without mentioning the possible casualties of security personnel in the conflict, the statement added that the operations are still continuing in the district. Earlier, the Interior Ministry in another statement said the security forces have killed six Taliban insurgents during series of operations across the country over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Taliban militants launched heavy offensive in Yamgan district of Badakhsan province 315 km northeast of the national capital Kabul Monday night, leaving several people dead and injured from both sides, deputy to provincial police chief Abdul Qadir Sayad said. "Fierce fighting has been continuing between Taliban rebels and security forces in Yamgan district since Monday night and both sides have suffered casualties," Sayed told Xinhua, without giving any exact figures. Zabihullah Mujahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in talks with media via telephone from an unknown location confirmed the clash, claiming that the Taliban fighters had captured Yamgan district's headquarters Tuesday afternoon, a claim rebuffed by Sayad as baseless. Since the Taliban launched the so-called spring offensive on May 12, militancy and conflicts have increased in the conflict- ridden Afghanistan.