Security forces kill 12 in Afghanistan

Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops have killed 12 insurgents and arrested five in cleanup operations carried out within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. "Afghan police, army and NATO-led coalition forces launched nine joint cleanup operations in Kunar, Balkh, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Khost, Farah and Helmand provinces, killing 12 armed insurgents and detaining five suspected armed men throughout the 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. During these operations security forces found and seized weapons, improvised explosive devices, grenades, chemicals, opium a motorcycle and dismantled eight landmines in Helmand and Nangarhar provinces. There were no casualties among security forces, the statement said.