Government troops launch operations in Afghanistan

Kabul: The Afghan forces have adopted an aggressive stance against Taliban in the northern region as more than three dozen armed militants have been killed since Friday, officials said on Saturday.

To eliminate militants, the government troops launched major operations against Taliban in Sarkh Kotal, Dand-e-Shahabudin and Dand-e-Ghori districts of the northern Baghlan province on Friday, Xinhua quoted army spokesman Ahmad Jawed Salim as saying.

According to Salim, 15 militants have been killed and nearly a dozen others wounded since the crackdown was launched on Friday.

Aimed at taking back Sarkh Kotal area, the operations would continue until the law and order were restored there, the official said.

The strategically important Sarkh Kotal was captured by Taliban fighters weeks ago and since then the militants could threaten a major highway connecting the capital of Kabul to eight northern provinces.