By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Afghan security forces have conducted multiple air and ground counter-terrorism offensives, killing 93 armed rebels over the past 24 hours across the country, an official statement said on Friday.

In the statement, Afghan Ministry of Defense said the offensives involving Afghan Air Force and the Special Forces were conducted in 18 restive provinces.

“…The Taliban’s two shadow district governors, one regional commander and four pro-Daesh militants are among the 93 armed terrorists killed, while 74 others were wounded”, it stated.

The Taliban are not far behind with their claims of inflicting heavy toll on the government forces in the second day of their newly launched yearly offensives ‘al-Khandaq’ (trench) declared Wednesday, April 25.

Zabihullah Mujahed, the militant group’s spokesman, claimed on Twitter that 211 security personnel were either killed or wounded in the past 24 hours alone.

Naimat Ullah, spokesman for the provincial administration in Kunduz province, informed Anadolu Agency that a convoy of a regional police chief came under a Taliban assault on Friday morning killing at least two policemen.

According to the local Salam Afghanistan radio, clashes between the Taliban and security forces continued for hours on the main Kunduz-Takhar highway.