KABUL (AA) – Afghan security forces have killed 36 Taliban insurgents in joint operations with US-led foreign forces in the past 24 hours.
"These armed Taliban were killed, injured and arrested in several joint clearance operations," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Five Taliban were injured and three others arrested in the operations in Nangrahar, Parwan, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, and Ghazni provinces.
According to the statement, a cache of light and heavy ammunition was seized and six mines were defused during the security operation.
Rafiq Mukhtari, a resident of Ningrahar district, confirmed the security operations in the province.
"I was visiting some relatives and huge convoys of security forces started the operations," he told AA.
But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the government claim.
"This is once again a false claim,” the spokesman told Anadolu Agency over the phone from an undisclosed location.
He argued that the Afghan "puppet" government is making "false claims" as it is close to defeat.
Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 before being ousted by US-led forces following the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.
US-led foreign forces are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
Thousands of civilians have been killed and injured since the US-led invasion in 2001, but the Afghan government has not been able to provide a reliable casualty toll.
By Zubair Babakarkhail – Anadolu Agency
englishnews@aa.com.tr
