FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least six militants were killed after Afghan army launched a search and cordon operation in the country's northern province of Badakhshan on Monday, an army source said.
"The Afghan National Army (ANA) carried out the raid in Yardar area of Baharak District early Monday morning. Up to now, six Taliban militants were killed in clashes that occurred during the operation," Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, spokesman of army Division 20 Pamir based in the northern region, told Xinhua.
The raid will cover several villages and outer sides of the district, east of provincial capital Faizabad, and will continue before the area is cleared of the militants, he said.
The army personnel retrieved two militants' bodies together with weapons as sporadic clashes continued in a number of villages there, he said.
"The operation was launched in close coordination with police and national intelligence agency personnel and the joint security forces will recapture areas in the district seized by militants earlier. New security checkpoints will also be installed in cleared areas," he said.
The raid will also target militants' bunkers and hideouts and will find out militants hiding mountainous area in Baharak and neighboring Wardoj districts, the spokesman added.
Wardoj has been controlled by the Taliban over the past two years.
The Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants as the war-weary country is facing upsurges in attacks by Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants.
Local observers believe that the militants would intensify activities in summer to gain more territory and defame the government ahead of winter.
