Kabul, July 23 (IANS) Afghan security forces launched a counter-offensive and recaptured Karukh district in Herat province on Friday, killing 15 Taliban militants.

The counter-offensive was launched early Friday and the militants were evicted within hours, enabling the security forces to restore law and order there, Xinhua news agency quoted the provincial government as saying in a statement.

"At least 15 Taliban fighters have been killed and 20 others injured," the statement said, adding a clean-up operation will continue until the area is cleared of insurgents.

Taliban militants have captured more than a dozen districts in Herat province over the past one month.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said that the government forces would soon launch counter-offensives to recapture every district overrun by the Taliban outfit since the start of the US-led forces withdrawal from Afghanistan on May 1.

--IANS ksk/