KABUL, July 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 99 militants were killed and 57 others wounded after Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel launched wide-scale operations against militants' hideouts within the past 24 hours, said the Defense Ministry on Thursday.
The raids were launched in 16 of the country's 34 provinces and among those militants killed were eight members of Islamic State (IS), the ministry said in a statement.
Out of casualties, 56 militants were killed and 24 wounded during clashes in restive northern Kunduz province, bordering Tajikistan, the statement said, adding that a Taliban local commander named Sayyed Khan was killed during Kunduz fightings.
Sporadic clashes have been continuing across Kunduz after Taliban tried to capture control of the remote districts since weekend.
Earlier on Thursday, the Taliban attacked several security checkpoints in the outskirts of provincial capital city Kunduz as the militants tried to sneak into the city, 250 km north of Kabul, a provincial council member told Xinhua earlier.
The joint forces supported by army's artillery and warplanes also destroyed five militants' bunkers, four vehicles and three motorcycles in Kunduz.
Violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by anti-government fighters since the drawdown of foreign forces over the past two years.
The Taliban and IS militants have yet to make comments.
