20 militants killed in Afghan military operations within 24 hours

Afghan forces' crackdowns against the armed opposition groups have killed at least 21 anti-government militants including five fighters of the Islamic State (IS) over the past 24 hours in the militancy-battered Afghanistan, officials said Thursday.

In the latest operations, government forces, pounded the hideouts of the IS group in Nurgal district of eastern Kunar province on Thursday killing five armed insurgents, said an army statement.

The statement said security forces would continue to chase insurgents in the country.

Government forces also targeted a hideout of the Taliban outfit in Charbolak district of northern Balkh province late Wednesday night killing two militants including Taliban group commander Qari Hamidullah on the spot and wounding three others, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.

The government forces operations from the ground and air have killed 14 Taliban fighters in northern Takhar, eastern Wardak and Paktia provinces over the past 24 hours, officials said.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Majahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media has disputed the claim and in counter-claim insisted that the armed group's fighters had inflicted huge casualties on government forces over the period.

Fighting has gotten momentum in Afghanistan since launching the annual spring offensive by the Taliban outfit on April 12 in the war-battered country.