KABUL, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces have intensified military operations and killed 17 militants elsewhere in the war-battered country in a single day on Sunday, officials said.
The crackdowns have obviously increased in the wake of Taliban deadly attack on an army base in Shorab area in the southern Helmand province on Friday.
The brazen offensive, which started at 2:00 a.m. local time on Friday and ended at 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, left some 50 dead and more than 40 others injured, according to local media reports.
However, the government forces in crackdown against militants, stormed Taliban hideouts in Dawlat Abad district of the northern Faryab province in the wee hours of Sunday, killing six insurgents and injuring two others, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.
According to Rezai, two Taliban senior commanders namely Mawlawi Jalal and Mullah Jandullah were also among those killed in the raids.
Similarly, the government forces stormed a Taliban hideout in Shah Walikot district of the southern Kandahar province on Sunday, killing eight militants including a key Taliban commander Mullah Tor Naqibullah and injuring nine others, an army statement said.
Showdown between security forces and the Taliban fighters in Khawja Ghar district of the northern Takahr province on Sunday morning left three militants dead and injured four others including two militants and two security personnel, district governor Mohammad Omar said.
Taliban militants have yet to make comments on the claims made by the officials.
