Over 20 militants killed as Afghan, NATO forces keep on pressure

Over 20 militants have been killed in the insurgency-hit Afghanistan as Afghan and NATO-led forces stationed in the country have pounded Taliban and associated insurgent outfits throughout the country since Friday.

In the latest operations against anti-government fighters, the troops eliminated eight insurgents in Faryab province, some 425 km northwest of capital Kabul, on Saturday, local media reported.

"The operation was launched at 03:00 a.m. local time in Qaysar district of Faryab province to wipe out insurgents as a result eight militants were killed," Tolo TV aired in its news bulletin.

Afghan forces have seized many weapons in the operation as well as 13 motorbikes, according to the media outlet.

A day earlier on Friday, Afghan soldiers and police conducted a joint cleanup operation in country's Farah province, some 695 km west of capital city Kabul, killing six militants besides capturing five others, Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Saturday.

"The joint forces during the operation in Pusht Koh and Ship Koh districts, Farah province also found three Kalashnikovs, a RPG- 7, a mortar round and seized two vehicles, a satellite phone and two motorbikes,"the statement asserted.

In a similar statement, Afghan defense ministry also claimed killing eight insurgents elsewhere in the conflict-ridden country over the past two days.

"Soldiers of Afghan National Army (ANA) backed by NATO-led international forces during series of operations over the past 24 hours had killed eight anti-government insurgent elsewhere in the country," the statement noted.

NATO and Afghan military officials have predicted more Taliban attacks in the coming weeks and months while stressing for exerting pressure on the insurgents.

"In the last 90 days, ISAF has conducted more than 1,400 operations, captured or killed more than 500 insurgent senior leaders, and captured or killed more than 2,700 lower-level insurgents,"Brigadier General Chris T. Whitecross, deputy to the ISAF communications directorate told reporters in a weekly ISAF press conference on Monday.

As a sign of increasing militancy, over 400 fighters stormed Wama district in the mountainous Nuristan province along the border with Pakistan tribal areas on last Tuesday but police repulsed it after severe fighting.

Meantime, Afghans have shown mixed reaction towards continued operations against insurgents.

"I think such military operations are useful to stop militants ' activities in the country," a Kabul resident Barat Khan told Xinhua on Saturday.

He also opined that maintaining pressure on Taliban militants would help erode militancy and ultimately protect the civilians' life.

"I am against any kind of military raids especially the night raid operations on Afghan houses as it only kills innocent people and damage their properties. Because Taliban often come to villages and run away before security forces arrive to capture them," another Afghan Gul Mohammad said.

Conflicts often go up in spring and summer, commonly known " fighting season" in the war-battered Afghanistan as warring sides attempt to consolidate their position before winter.

Over 140,000-strong NATO-led forces, with nearly 100,000 of them Americans have been stationed in Afghanistan to curb the Taliban-led insurgency in its 10th year in the war-battered nation.

Posted in: NATO forces keep on pressure,Over 20 militants killed as Afghan