Afghan forces kill 9 militants in western province

AFGHANISTAN- Afghan forces have killed nine militants in Obe district of the western Herat province, said an army statement released on Thursday.

The Taliban militants launched offensives on security checkpoints in Obe district on Wednesday afternoon, prompting the security forces to launch a counter attack, the statement said, adding that the government forces backed by warplanes killed nine militants on the spot.

Eight more insurgents were injured before they fled, the statement said. Without mentioning the casualties of government forces, the statement asserted that a cleanup operation is going on.

Taliban militants, who are active in parts of the relatively peaceful Herat province with Herat city as its capital 640 km west of Kabul, have yet to make a comment on the report. Enditem-Xinhua

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