3 Taliban militants killed in Afghan raids

Three Taliban militants were killed while five others arrested in military operations, said the Afghan Interior Ministry on Tuesday. "Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) carried out several cleanup operations in several provinces within the past 24 hours, killing three Taliban members and detaining five other militants," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates. The ANSF also found and seized weapons, the statement said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces. In addition, the Afghan National Police found and defused eight improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs planted on the side of main roads by the militants in recent days, according to the statement. The army and police have stepped up efforts to clear the militants across Afghanistan as the country is preparing for the presidential and provincial council elections slated for April 5.