Several insurgents killed in Afghanistan

Several Taliban fighters were killed in an operation aimed at clearing out one of the group's safe havens in Afghanistan, the U.S. Defense Department said. Two members of the Taliban had been detained Monday and troops were getting ready to search another compound at the site in the Dahanah-ye Ghori district of Baghlan province Tuesday. They returned fire when the Taliban fired on them. The Taliban began a spring offensive during the weekend, with several deaths reported in violence around Afghanistan. Suspected insurgents were also detained in a number of other locations around Afghanistan. In Kandahar Sunday, NATO and Afghan forces seized a cache that included 3,000 pounds of marijuana, 11 hand grenades, liquid opium and an assault rifle. One man was arrested.