Afghan security force members taking part in a military operation in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan on Wednesday — Xinhua KABUL, July 04 (Xinhua): Some 132 militants were killed and 28 others wounded during military operations and air strikes in Afghanistan, sources said on Wednesday.
The country's Defence Ministry said the Afghan army waged 10 military and cleanup operations and 89 night raids and small-scale operations led by army's commandos in 15 of the country's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement.
The Afghan air force also launched 20 airstrikes against militants over the period.
Army bomb disposal squads also found and destroyed 128 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines, according to the statement.
The statement did not disclose if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.
The Afghan security forces, alongside US and NATO-led coalition troops, have increased ground and air offensives against militants in the last few months as the militants frequently attack government interests across the country.
Meanwhile, a top diplomat from President Donald Trump's administration has met with the Pakistani army chief to discuss how to ensure peace in Afghanistan following a recent cease-fire between the Taliban and Kabul.
Pakistan is believed to have played a role in ensuring the first truce in Afghanistan's brutal 17-year war when Kabul and insurgents separately but peacefully celebrated the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr.
However, violence has later resumed.
Alice Wells, US deputy assistant secretary of state, met with Pakistani army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The visit came after Afghanistan stepped up efforts at finding a peaceful settlement, weeks after a US drone missile killed Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in Afghanistan.
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