Afghan Forces Kill Over 50 Militants in Helmand Province Over Past 24 Hours

At least 54 militants, including local commander of a Taliban group, were eliminated by the Afghan security forces in the southern province of Helmand, according to local media reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — At least 54 militants were killed over the past 24 hours in special operations led by the Afghan security forces in the southern province of Helmand, local media reported on Sunday, citing the country's Defense Ministry.

All of the militants, including a local commander of a Taliban group, were killed in the Garmsir district, the Khaama Press news agency reported.

According to the media outlet, the operations were carried out with the support of the Afghan National Army and Afghan Air Force.

No details on the possible casualties among Afghan security forces have been made available so far.

On Saturday, local media reported that 16 militants were killed and nine wounded repelling the attack on the Garmsir district.

Afghan government has spent decades fighting the Taliban, a militant group formed in the 1990s, seeking to establish Sharia law in the country. The crisis in the country prompted the emergence of local cells of other extremist organizations such as Islamic State, which is banned in many countries, including Russia.