At least 80 insurgents and six soldiers were killed in the last 24 hours in a campaign operations Afghan troops in 18 of the 34 provinces of the country, days after President Ashraf Gani, announced a shift to a military strategy more aggressive to deal with the Taliban.
The offensive, carried out jointly by the police, the army and the Afghan intelligence service, had air support and focused on the regions most affected by the advance of the insurgents, said Saturday the Ministry of Defense in a release.
Most of the casualties, 38 were inflicted on the rebel ranks in the southern province of Helmand, where the Taliban have gained ground in recent months to the point that control since late last year an area of the capital, Lashkargah.
In eastern Nangarhar, the bastion of the jihadist group Islamic State (EI) in the country and Afghan troops claimed to have cleared of their presence last March killed 25 Taliban fighters and 9 EI, according to the note.
The Taliban began two weeks ago its traditional spring offensive Kabul hitting with an attack with 64 dead and 347 wounded, prompting Gani to announce on Monday that there will be "more forgiveness for those who commit terrorist acts".