At least 32 Taliban militants were killed after Afghan air force struck their hideouts in western province of Farah on Wednesday, the country’s Defense Ministry said Thursday.

“The strikes were launched in Bala Buluk and Pusht Rod districts, and those among the killed were two divisional Taliban commanders named Mullah Khairullah and Aman Kandahari,” the ministry tweeted.

Seventeen Taliban militants were also wounded in the sorties.

The strikes also destroyed two militants’ vehicles full of explosive materials and six suicide bombing vests in the province, 695 km west of Afghan capital of Kabul.

Afghan security forces and the NATO-led coalition troops have beefed up security operations and airstrikes as the war-weary Afghans are facing upsurges in attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State militants across the country.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 16 years, has yet to make comments.

source: Xinhua