KABUL, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police, backed by the army and the NATO-led coalition forces, have eliminated 18 Taliban militants in different provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
"Afghan National Police (ANP) in collaboration with the Afghan army and the coalition forces launched eight clearance operations in Kabul, Laghman, Kunduz, Kandahar, Wardak, Logar, Ghor and Helmand provinces, killing 18 armed Taliban insurgents," the ministry said in a statement.
The ANP also arrested 17 other militants, the statement said, adding it also found and seized weapons and ammunition during the raids.
"Afghan and coalition forces confirmed one of the insurgents captured during a security operation in Pul-e-Alam district in eastern Logar province on Tuesday is a Haqqani leader and weapons financier," the NATO-led coalition or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a separate statement Wednesday.
A Taliban-linked group of militants, the Haqqani network mostly operates in eastern Afghan provinces and capital Kabul, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks including suicide bombings and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) against security forces.
The detained Haqqani leader is believed to have overseen the acquisition and distribution of rockets, heavy weapons, assault rifles, explosives and body armor to support insurgent operations throughout Logar province, 60 km south of Kabul, the coalition said.
The Taliban insurgents, who have been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, have yet to make comments.
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