KABUL, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen Taliban militants were killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) they were building accidently detonated in eastern Ghazni province early Monday, provincial police said in a statement.
At least 11 security force members and 67 Taliban militants have been killed in clashes in five Afghan provinces as fighting rages elsewhere in the country, officials said Monday.
Violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by militants at the time when the country is preparing for the parliamentary and district councils elections slated for later this month.
During the upcoming Oct. 20 elections, more than 54,000 Afghan army soldier and police personnel would be deployed to provide security for 5,100 polling stations across the country.
In latest clashes, in northern Jawzjan province, six Afghan army soldiers, two pro-government local militiamen and about 30 Taliban militants were killed and 19 militants and four security forces were injured after security forces repulsed a Taliban attack on an army camp and nearby security checkpoints in Quesh Tepa district overnight, deputy provincial police chief Kamaluddin Yawar told Xinhua.
In western Badghis province, heavy clashes erupted after Taliban militants stormed Jawand district headquarter and security checkpoints around the district center Sunday night, Naqibullah Amini, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.
"The fighting left one army soldier and six Taliban militants dead while 11 militants and one soldier were injured," he said.
Eleven Taliban militants, including a senior local Taliban leader named Mullah Mutasim, were killed after Afghan army launched a special operation against a Taliban hideout in Saj village, Pusht Rod district of western Farah province late Sunday, Muhibullah Muhib, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.
In southern Zabul province, four militants and a police officer were killed and three militants injured after Afghan police fought back attackers, who stormed remote Mizan district and tried to overrun the district government offices Sunday night, provincial government spokesman, Gul Islam Syyal, told Xinhua.
On Sunday, 14 police officers, including a district police chief, and four Taliban militants were killed and several people were wounded after Taliban attacked Sayed Abad district in eastern Wardak province.
Nearly 9 million registered voters, including 3 million women, out of some 12 million eligible Afghans, will cast their ballots to elect members of the 249-seat lower house of parliament for a five-year term while they will also vote to elect members of the district councils.
Earlier on Monday, the Taliban militant group issued a statement and called on Afghans to boycott the elections.
