At least 16 militants including two rebel commanders were killed in separate clashes with Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan's troubled eastern and southern regions, officials said Saturday according to DPA. In the most recent incident, US-led coalition forces killed five Taliban militants in southern and eastern Afghanistan in two separate operations on Friday. The joint forces were conducting a search operation targeting a Taliban sub-commander in Andar district of southern Ghazni province on Friday when they encountered two armed militants, the US military said in a statement. The soldiers killed the militants and recovered multiple AK-47 rifles, and materials used for making roadside bombs from the targeted compound, the statement. Three other militants were killed in eastern Kunar province on Friday by a coalition airstrike as they were approaching a military base in the area, the statement said. "Three armed militants engaged the force with small-arms' fire. The force returned fire, killing the three militants," it said. Meanwhile, Afghan and NATO forces killed 11 Taliban militants including two of their commanders in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province during the two-day operation, which began on Thursday, said, Abdul Qayoom, head of intelligence department in the province.
