77 Taliban militants killed in Afghan airstrikes

Kabul, July 6 At least 77 Taliban militants were killed as the Afghan Air Force has intensified airstrikes across the war-torn country, conducting multiple raids on insurgent positions, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, 35 militants were killed following a pre-dawn airstrike in surrounding areas of Alishing district of Laghman province, the Ministry said in a statement.

A footage released by the Ministry showed heavily armed militants gathering in a muddy house before launching attacks on security checkpoints in the area, reports Xinhua news agency.

In Logar province, 26 militants were killed in two separate raids on the outskirts of provincial capital Pul-e-Alam and Khoshi district on Monday night, the statement said.

Sixteen militants lost their lives following an airstrike in Hazrat-e-Sultan district of northern Samangan province also on Monday night.

The raids also destroyed a militants' vehicle and huge amount of their weapons and ammunition, the statement said.

The latest airstrikes came as Taliban militants continued their attacks against the government security forces, capturing more than 100 suburban districts in recent weeks.