KABUL/MOSCOW - The Afghan security forces have eliminated a total of 57 insurgents across the country as part of their ground operations and air raids over the past 24 hours, local media reported on Saturday citing the country’s Defence Ministry.

The TOLO news broadcaster reported that the operations had been carried out across at least 15 provinces. According to the Defence Ministry, another eight insurgents sustained injuries as a result of the raids, the outlet added. The Afghan military also destroyed the insurgents’ weapons and hideouts in the western Afghan province of Farah during airstrikes, the ministry said, according to the broadcaster.

For decades, Kabul has been fighting numerous terrorist groups launching attacks in the country. The Taliban movement has been one of the major forces opposing the government, as its militants managed to gain control over the country in 1996 before being overthrown in 2001. In 2015, the notorious Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) started operating in the country as well. The Afghan military have been carrying out regular anti-terrorist raids.

Meanwhile, a child was killed and another one sustained injuries as a result of a clash between Taliban militants and members of the Islamic State terrorist groupin eastern Afghan Kunar province on Friday, local media reported on Saturday. Separately, seven police officers and three militants were killed and five policemen and three militants wounded following fierce clashes in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province overnight, local police said Saturday.

“Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint with guns and rocket launchers in Surkh Bital area of Qalay-i-Zal district of Kunduz province, triggering a fighting lasting for hours,” Inamuddin Rahmani, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua. Among those militants killed was Qari Jalal who served as a divisional commander of Taliban’s Sara Keta or special force in Kunduz, he said.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, told local media that insurgent’s fighters killed at least seven police offiers and wounded five others without commenting on casualties on their side in the incident.

TWO KILLED IN KABUL

BOMB ATTACKS

At least two Afghan security personnel were killed and nine people were wounded in two back to back bomb explosions in an eastern neighborhood of Kabul on Saturday, local police said.

“A sticky bomb attack targeted a military vehicle at around 07:30 a.m. local time, killing two security personnel. The second blast came about 20 minutes after police and rescue team’s arrival, injuring nine people, including three passers-by and six police officers,” the police official told Xinhua anonymously.

The incident occurred in Shena locality, in Police District 12 and the district police chief was among the injured, he said.

Further details about the incident are still forthcoming amid the absence of any official statement. Over the past few months, Afghanistan, especially Kabul, has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the Islamic State (IS) outfits and Taliban insurgents opposing the country’s long-delayed parliamentary elections scheduled for later this month.

During the upcoming Oct. 20 elections, nearly 9 million registered voters, including 3 million women, will cast their ballots to elect members of the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term, while they will also vote to elect members of the district councils.