'More than 40 militants' killed in Afghanistan

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

More than 40 suspected militants have been killed in air-and-ground offensives in the past 24 hours, according to Ministry of Defense Monday.

This comes a week after President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani extended an olive branch to the Taliban at an international conference in capital Kabul, which was attended by representatives of more than 20 countries.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said 42 suspected Daesh and Taliban armed men were killed in the past 24 hours in different parts of the country.

The operations were carried out in Helmand, Uruzgan, Jawzjan, Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

Separately, the Ministry of Interior announced Monday that two organizers of suicide attacks were arrested in eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.

There has been a momentous rise in violence across Afghanistan since the announcement of a new U.S. war strategy in August last year, which allowed American forces more resources and authority to target the rebels.

Since then, the militants have been increasingly targeting capital Kabul while the U.S. and Afghan forces have intensified air-and-ground offensives against them.