Kabul, May 31 (IANS): At least 16 Taliban militants were killed and eight others arrested in two Afghan provinces, the country's Ministry of Defence confirmed on Monday.

In Kunduz province, five people were freed from the Taliban's clutches after Afghan National Army commandos raided a hideout in Qosh Tapa village on the outskirts of provincial capital Kunduz city on Sunday night, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement.

"The army commandos raided a Taliban hideout at midnight. During the operation, the security forces received hostile fire. They returned fire in self-defense.

"In ensuing gunfight, 12 enemy combatants were killed and eight others arrested," the statement said.

The freed people and the arrested militants were shifted to an army camp.

The Taliban hideout was destroyed and the weapons and ammunition were seized during the raid, the statement added.

In Helmand province, four militants were killed and two wounded after Afghan Air Force bombed a Taliban position in Chah-e-Angir, an area in restive Nad Ali district, on Sunday.

The Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints after US President Joe Biden announced that American troops will pull out from the country by September 11, 2021 after almost 20 years.

NATO agreed to follow suit.

Almost 10,000 NATO soldiers from the Resolute Support training mission, including 2,500 soldiers from the US and around 1,100 from Germany, the two biggest contingents, are due to leave the country.

The withdrawal formally began on May 1.