78 militants killed in Afghan forces' operations in 24 hours: gov't

KABUL, April 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 78 Taliban militants were killed in various operations conducted by Afghan government forces in the past 24 hours, according to Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense on Thursday.

"Forty-four Taliban militants were also wounded and eight others were arrested as a result of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) operations in Ghazni, Zabul, Herat, Paktika, Balkh, Nimroz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces," the ministry said in a statement.

The ANDSF also discovered and seized weapons and defused 36 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines during the cited period, the statement said.

The statement didn't say if there were any casualties on the side of the Afghan security forces.

The Taliban outfit has not made comments on the defense ministry's report so far.