2 insurgents killed, 28 detained in Afghanistan

KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces, backed by the NATO- led Coalition troops, have killed two armed insurgents and captured 28 suspects in a series of military operations around the country over the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Wednesday morning.

"The Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint operations in the Nangarhar, Kandahar, Helmand, Logar, Ghazni, and Paktika provinces over the last 24 hours," the ministry said in a press release.

"As a result of these operations, two armed insurgents were killed, two wounded and 28 others were arrested by the ANP," it said.

The ANP also found and seized a handful of different weapons besides confiscating various kind of narcotics and a vehicle used by suspected unguents, the release added.

"The ANP also discovered and defused eight anti-vehicle mines, 18 packages of explosive materials, one rocket launcher and 31 heavy bullets as a result of separate security operations in Nangarhar, Samangan, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Wardak provinces over the same period of time," it further said.

Afghan officials often use the word "insurgents" referring to the Taliban. However, the insurgent group, who launched in May this year a rebel offensive against Afghan and the NATO forces, has not made comments yet.