22 insurgents killed in eastern Afghan operations

Twenty-two insurgents were killed in eastern Afghan provinces during operations started on Wednesday, said the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Thursday.

"Afghan National Security and Coalition Forces killed 22 insurgents, detained one suspected insurgent and found and safely cleared 11 improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours," the ISAF's Regional Command-East said in a statement.

The raids were conducted in Paktiya, Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar, Panjshir and Wardak provinces, the statement added.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been fighting an insurgency for more than one decade, has yet to make comments.

The Afghan security forces and ISAF troops have intensified operations against Taliban and other militant groups recently. But the insurgent groups responded by bombings.

On Wednesday, several insurgents carried out a complex attack against an International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) compound in eastern Nangarhar province, killing one security guard and injuring the ICRC regional director.

However, police has rescued six foreign aid workers of the ICRC shortly after the attack in provincial capital Jalalabad city.