US says killed 22 militants in Afghan clashes

The raids, which involved air support, took place on Monday in southern and eastern Afghanistan, the US military said.One operation targeted a Taliban network in Kapisa province, to the northeast of Kabul. Troops killed 18 insurgents and a commander, who was involved in a series of attacks against Afghan and foreign forces, the US military said in a statement.Coalition troops detained eight suspected militants during the operation, it said.In two separate raids, one Taliban commander was killed in southern Kandahar province and two more insurgents were killed in neighbouring Zabul province, the US military said.The military did not say whether there were any casualties among the foreign troops. The Taliban could not be reached for comment and Reuters was unable to verify the military's accounts.