Afghan and NATO-led troops killed 14 suspected insurgents including two of their leaders in separate operations, officials said Monday.
Mullah Anwar, a Taliban commander and 12 of his fighters were killed in Khogyani district of the eastern province of Nangarhar on Sunday, said Ali Shah Paktiawal, the provincial police chief, DPA reported.
He said Anwar, the Taliban shadow governor for Hesarak district, had been behind numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
NATO also confirmed the death of Anwar, but said in a statement that the operation took place on Friday.
A NATO airstrike also killed a suspected Taliban commander in Pul-e-Alam, the provincial capital for central province of Logar, the alliance said.
Abdul Bari, who allegedly facilitated the supply of weapons and vehicles on behalf of the Taliban leadership in the region, was travelling in a vehicle on Sunday when he was killed by the airstrike, it said.
In the southern province of Kandahar, Afghan intelligence forces seized seven suicide vests and detained eight suspects during an operation in the provincial capital, also called Kandahar, the provincial governor's office said.
Mohammad Naem Momen, intelligence department chief in Kandahar, said it was not known if the suspects detained Sunday night were would-be suicide bombers.
But he cited intelligence information that he said showed the militants planned to carry out simultaneous attacks on several government buildings, including the offices of the governor and provincial council.