The newly US-trained Afghan National Army (ANA) in the latest round of clean-up operation against the remnants of former Taliban regime has arrested 16 fugitives in south Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry spokesman said Sunday.

"Units of ANA detained seven armed Taliban in Deh Rawad district of Uruzgan Province on Aug. 20, and another nine Taliban were arrested from Deh Chopan of Zabul on Aug. 21," Zahir Azimi said in Kabul.

A large number of arms and ammunition including assault rifles of PKA and AK-47 were also seized from the militias, he added.

He said another Taliban commander in the name of Vazir was killed in action on Aug. 18 in the district of Nawa in Ghazni some 180 km south of Kabul.

Counting government casualties, he said, one ANA soldier was killed on Thursday in Zabul.

Another ANA soldier died and other 11 were injured in a traffic accident in Tangi Waghjan of Lugar Province, the spokesman said, but declined to give more details.

The mountainous southern region of Afghanistan commonly known as the "heartland of Taliban" has been the scene of bloody insurgency for the last eight months in which 30 civilians, rebels, US and Afghan troops as well as aid workers have been killed.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2004)