(KUNA) -- Fighting between Taliban and Afghan and coalition forces in southern and eastern Afghanistan claimed at least 20 lives and injured several others on Friday. Separately, the US-led coalition forces said they had arrested eight suspected Taliban during a raid in Kandahar carried out as part of the massive "Operation Mountain Thrust." In the eastern and remote province of Nuristan, the US forces attacked a Taliban compound in the Kamdesh area which resulted in killing of 14 militants. A statement by the coalition forces said they had located the insurgents traveling in the area with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenades. As the armed militants entered their compound, the coalition forces stormed it. Two buildings were fully destroyed in the raid and later 14 bodies of Taliban were recovered, said the military statement.
In the southern Helmand province, the coalition forces, in collaboration with Afghan police, clashed with Taliban and killed four of them. The statement said the joint patrol of Afghan police and coalition forces was attacked by Taliban. In the neighbouring province of Kandahar, the coalition forces said they had arrested eight suspected Taliban and killed one during a raid on their hideout last night. The raid was part of the ongoing "Operation Mountain Thrust" and was jointly conducted by the Afghan and coalition forces. The military statement said the detainees were involved in planning and carrying out attacks on coalition and Afghan forces in Kandahar and Helmand.