Over a dozen Taliban militants have been killed and nine others injured by Afghan national security forces during military operations across the country, Press TV reported.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said Saturday in a statement that 14 militants were killed during security operations in the provinces of Paktika, Kandahar, Logar and Ghazni over the past 24 hours.
The operations were jointly conducted by Afghan national police, Afghan national army and Afghan intelligence.
The Afghan Interior Ministry also said that six Taliban militants were captured and various types of weapons along with explosives were confiscated.
In addition, Afghan police forces discovered and seized five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Kandahar and Farah provinces, planted by Taliban militants for attacks.
Taliban have recently stepped up their military offensive against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new wave of attacks across Afghanistan.
The militant group said it would use every possible tactic to inflict casualties on Afghan and US-led forces. They specifically mentioned insider attacks and bombings.
The announcement prompted the Afghan authorities to beef up security in major cities across the country, including the capital city of Kabul.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but the country is still gripped by insecurity.