6 militants killed in S. Afghanistan

Afghan National Police (ANP) have killed six militants in the country's Kandahar province, the provincial government said on Monday. "ANP, during routine patrol, spotted six armed militants, including an Afghan and five Pakistani nationals, when they were planting mines and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along a road in Sayahchoi village of Zhari district Sunday night," the provincial government said in a statement. Police also seized a handful of weapons near the scene, it added. The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the militant group announced spring offensive from May 1 against Afghan and NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan. Taliban insurgents, who have often attacked Afghan and NATO-led forces with IEDs and roadside bombs, have yet to make comments. Kandahar, the birthplace of Taliban, has been experiencing increasing militancy over the past couple of years despite continued military operations since the middle of last year.