Afghan police killed 14 Taliban insurgents in Maywand district of southern Kandahar province, while Afghan and NATO forces killed over 23 militants in Arghandab district Wednesday, an official said.
A group of Taliban militants ambushed a police convoy in Maywand and the clash left 14 militants dead but caused no casualties to the police, Kandahar provincial governor Asadullah Khalid said.
At a press conference in Kandahar city, the provincial capital, Khalid said Afghan and NATO forces killed over 20 militants and wounded 40 more insurgents during a major operation beginning Wednesday morning to drive out militants from Arghandab.
Earlier, a defense ministry press release said over 23 militants including "foreign terrorists" were killed in the anti-Taliban operation in Arghandab, some 20 km north of Kandahar city.
Khalid said two foreign journalists on the scene were also wounded by hostile firing as Afghan and NATO troops were battling hundreds of militants in Arghandab. Both were undergoing treatment at NATO military's medical facilities.
Following a Taliban-led prison break on June 13 in Kandahar city, the largest city in the country, Afghan troops backed by foreign forces have intensified the search and fight operations against militants. Scores of militants have been killed in the province, a known birthplace of Taliban militants.
Since three days ago, a group of Taliban militants have massed in Arghandab and occupied several villages, forcing hundreds of local families to escape.
Afghan and NATO forces Wednesday started a major offensive to combat the militants and reportedly have recaptured some villages. The ongoing operation is expected to be completed with the next three days, according to the NATO military.
The past three weeks have seen an escalated militancy across Afghanistan, where Taliban-led violence and related conflicts left8,000 people, mostly insurgents, dead last year.
Source:Xinhua
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