Afghan Troops Kill 74 Taliban Militants During Clashes in Kandahar Province

KABUL (Sputnik) - As many as 74 Taliban* militants have died during clashes with the Afghan armed forces in Kandahar province, the Afghan Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.

The clashes happened after the Afghan National Army launched an assault on Taliban militants who were preparing to attack positions held by the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, the ministry said, adding that a large number of weapons were also seized.

"74 #Taliban were killed and 15 others were wounded in Zheria, Dand, Panjwae and Arghandab districts of Kandahar province, yesterday", the ministry wrote on Twitter.

In this Friday, May 27, 2016 photo, members of a breakaway faction of the Taliban fighters walks during a gathering, in Shindand district of Herat province, Afghanistan

© AP Photo / Allauddin Khan

Kandahar province has been the site of fierce clashes over recent days. According to data provided by the Afghan Ministry of Defense, 82 Taliban militants were killed in the province earlier this week amid a sustained military operation.

Afghanistan continues to be ravaged by violence and bomb blasts in spite of the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the Taliban, which began this past September in Qatar.

* Taliban is a terrorist group, banned in Russia