17 insurgents killed in Afghan
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Afghan army soldiers, backed by NATO-led forces, had killed 17 insurgents during the four-day operations in country's Badghis province, some 555 km northwest of capital city Kabul, provincial police chief said on Sunday.
"Acting upon intelligence reports on insurgents' activities, the joint forces launched a cleanup operation on Wednesday in a number of villages of Bala Murghab district which ended on Saturday during which 17 insurgents were killed," Mohammad Jabar Salah told Xinhua.
He also insisted that a Taliban local commander Mullah Mohammad Gul is also among those killed in the operation.
Taliban militants have yet to make comments.
Both security forces and Taliban fighters have intensified activities to consolidate positions since the beginning of spring known as"fighting season" in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
The hardliner Taliban outft in a statement released to media from undisclosed location on Saturday announced to launch spring offensive against Afghan and NATO-led forces on May 1.
