An Afghan army airstrike has pounded militant positions in the country’s northeastern province of Kunar, killing at least 15 Taliban militants, Afghanistan's security sources say.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement on Sunday that the airstrikes targeted Dangam district of Kunar province.

Omar Zadran, a regional Taliban leader, and two senior militant commanders are among those killed in the attacks.

Zadran was known as Taliban’s shadow provincial governor for Kunar province.

Afghan intelligence officials said the militants had killed civilians through terrorist attacks.

On June 8, airstrikes by Afghanistan’s jet fighters killed more than two dozen Taliban militants in central Ghour province.

Afghan security forces have stepped up attacks against Taliban hideouts across the war-ravaged country.

There has been a major surge of violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks after the Taliban militants vowed to expand attacks against Afghan and foreign forces as part of the militants’ so-called spring offensive.

Afghanistan is experiencing growing insecurity nearly 14 years after US and its NATO allies invaded the country in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The US-led war unseated the Taliban from power, but many areas in the Asian country are still beset with bombings, armed clashes and killings.

JR/KA/SS