15 militants killed in Afghan operations

Fifteen Taliban militants have been killed in operations in two Afghan provinces, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. "The Afghan National Security Forces backed by the NATO-led coalition troops launched several cleanup operations in Helmand and Nangarhar province, killing 15 armed Taliban insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. Some 12 insurgents were wounded and one was arrested, it said. The Taliban, which has been waging an insurgency for more than one decade, has yet to make comment. On Saturday, the Taliban carried out two suicide bombings, killing 21 people including a policeman and injuring over a dozen others in the Afghan capital of Kabul and eastern Khost province.