Afghan drone strike kills eight militants

KABUL, Feb 18 (Xinhua): An unmanned plane has targeted a drug lab of Taliban in the western Farah province, killing eight militants and destroying a drug lab of the outfit, the official media outlet Bakhtar News Agency (BNA) reported Sunday.

"Eight Taliban militants were killed and their drug factory was destroyed after the Coalition Forces Drone raided Ashkam village in Bakwah District of the western Farah province very recently," BNA said in the report.

Without providing more details, the agency said that the government is determined to get the poppy growing country rid of the illicit drug menace.

Meanwhile, Around 234 different types of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines have been detected and defused over the last 24 hours, Afghan Defence Ministry said Sunday.

"Afghan National Army engineering teams and bomb disposal units launched operations to clear landmines in different provinces since early Saturday. They found and defused 234 different IEDs and landmines," the ministry said in a statement.

Taliban militants and Islamic State (IS) extremist group's fighters have been using IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

Finding and neutralizing the weapons remained a challenge for Afghan security forces.