Afghan military kills 52 militants in E province

KABUL, May 05 (Xinhua): At least 52 militants, including two local Taliban leaders, have been killed following Afghan army operations in the restive eastern province of Ghazni, the country's Ministry of Defense said on Sunday.

"Up to 52 Taliban terrorists have been killed following three separate Afghan National Army commando operations and airstrikes against Taliban positions in Ghazni since early Saturday," the ministry said in a statement.

Those among the killed were two Taliban local group leaders named Abu Khalid and Qumandan Sarhadi, the statement said.

The province, 125 km south of the country's capital Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes and fighting for long.

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces remain in control of most of Afghanistan's population centers and all of 34 provincial capitals, but Taliban insurgents control large portions of rural areas, staging coordinated large-scale attacks against Afghan cities and districts.