Afghan forces kill al-Qaeda commander, seven fighters in southeast

Afghan army soldiers have killed a high-ranking commander of the al-Qaeda militant group and seven of his comrades during a clean-up operation carried out in the country’s southeastern province of Paktika.

Afghanistan's intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), said in a statement that Afghan forces, backed by US-led aerial support, killed the terrorists in the provincial Gomal district, which lies on the border with neighboring Pakistan.

“Four laptops, one hard disk, four radios, tens of heavy and light weapons as well as bomb-making materials were seized during the operation,” the statement added.

The NDS further noted that a considerable amount of narcotics and Afghan military uniforms were also confiscated in the offensive.

On September 9, a US drone strike against Gomal reportedly left 15 members of the Pakistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban militant group dead.

Moreover, Afghan army troopers have killed more than 60 Taliban militants and wounded nearly three dozen others in a series of mop-up operations conducted across the war-torn country over the past 24 hours.

The Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday that 66 militants were killed and 34 others injured in a series of operations carried out in the provinces of Farah, Helmand, Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar.

The statement added that one militant was also arrested during the offensives, while Afghan soldiers lost their lives.

Afghan soldiers also confiscated light and heavy weapons and defused several rounds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Afghanistan is still gripped by insecurity nearly 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. Although the attack overthrew the Taliban, many areas across Afghanistan still face violence and insecurity.