8 militants killed in Afghanistan within day

The Afghan Interior Ministry said Monday that the country's security forces have killed eight militants during operations since early Sunday. "In past 24 hours, Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) carried out several cleanup operations and battled militants in Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Paktiya and Paktika provinces, causing eight Taliban militants killed and six others wounded," the ministry said in a statement, adding one rebel was detained by the ANSF. The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency for more than one decade, is yet to make comment. 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.