KABUL: At least 18 militants were killed during a military operation – code named ‘Nawed-17’ – in Sare Pul province, Afghan media reported on Sunday. Sare Pul Governor Taher Wahdat told media persons that the operation was launched to annihilate Taliban militants and protect the lives of the locals of the province. The rebels had already been cleared from several areas of the province but the operation is still on-going. Security officials reported the killing and wounding of 30 Taliban rebels in some regions of the province, four days ago.