15 militants killed in E. Afghan province

At least 15 Taliban militants have been killed, five wounded and three others arrested in eastern Afghan province of Ghazni, the military said Tuesday.

"Afghan Special Operations Forces conducted operations in Shely locality of Andar district and Shinkai area of Gelan district on Monday. The security forces received hostile fire during the mission and returned fire, killing 13 enemy combatants," the army Corps 203 Tandar based in the region said in a statement.

Three suspected militants were arrested and six vehicles and eight motorcycles were destroyed by the security forces in the raids in the restive province, 125 km south of the country's capital Kabul, according to the statement.

In addition, one militant was killed and five others wounded after NATO-led coalition forces launched an airstrike in Shaleez locality of Ghazni, the statement added.

One militant was killed following an engagement between army personnel and militants in Tawhid Abad, an area on the outskirts of the provincial capital Ghazni city.

In a separate incident, one civilian was killed in a landmine explosion in Sadokhil area of Muqar district of Ghazni, according to the statement.

Fighting rages across the war-torn country and clashes between security forces and Taliban have been continuing in at least 25 out of the country's 34 provinces since early April when Taliban launched a yearly rebel offensive.

Fighting between government forces and Taliban fighters often gets intense in spring and summer as the seasons are locally branded as the fighting time of year.