11 Afghan soldiers, 64 militants killed within 48 hours

About 64 militants have been killed during Afghan army operations within the past 48 hours while 11 army soldiers died in explosions across the country, the Defense Ministry said Saturday morning.
"Up to 64 insurgents, including 10 foreign militants, were killed, several wounded and seven arrested during army operations in Kabul, Kunar, Nuristan, Ghor, Helmand and Kunduz provinces over the past 48 hours," the ministry said in a statement.
The army also seized weapons and 100 kg of explosive materials in above raids, the statement noted.
A total of 11 army soldiers were killed in separate roadside bombings across the country over the same period, the statement confirmed, adding the army specialists defused 178 roadside bombs and landmines.
The Taliban insurgent group has yet to make comments.
A surge in attacks has been witnessed in the country since the Taliban launched a yearly rebel offensive against Afghan security forces and about 50,000 NATO-led troops stationed in the country in mid-May.
Earlier on Saturday, one police and two militants were killed and three militants and two policemen were wounded when Taliban launched an attack on security checkpoints in Shiberghan, the provincial capital of northern Jawzjan province, police chief Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani told Xinhua.