11 militants killed in separate incidents in E. Afghanistan

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 militants have been killed, eight wounded and seven others arrested following separate clashes in two eastern Afghan provinces, authorities said Sunday.

In one incident, 10 Taliban militants were killed after a unit of Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps, backed by air force, attacked a Taliban hideout in Googer locality, Zana Khan district of eastern Ghazni province Saturday night, provincial government spokesman Harif Noori told Xinhua.

A security force and eight militants were wounded during the clashes while security forces also destroyed amount of weapons and ammunition in the raid, Noori said.

Elsewhere, one militant was killed and seven others arrested following an engagement between security forces and Taliban in Tere Zayi district of neighboring Khost province on Friday, the command of special forces said earlier in the day.

Several AK-47 rifles were seized by security forces in the bordering district, the command said in a statement.

Afghan security forces have beefed up operations on militants recently as spring and summer, known as the fighting season, is drawing near in the country.