KABUL, April 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 Taliban militants have been killed and 15 others wounded in separate incidents, the Afghan Defense Ministry said Monday.

In Khas Uruzgan district, southern Uruzgan province, six militants were killed and eight others wounded after Afghan National Army (ANA) personnel waged a cleanup operation Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

Among the killed was Abdullah Khan, deputy to shadow provincial governor of Taliban in Uruzgan, the statement read.

In neighboring Helmand province, three Taliban became the victims of their own bomb after the device exploded prematurely in Gereshk district on Sunday.

On the same day, four militants were killed and seven others wounded after ANA artillery struck Taliban position in Bala Buluk district, western Farah province.

A militants' bomb and landmine factory, together with three motorcycles were also destroyed.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 17 years, has yet to make comments.

Afghan and the NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces continued in mopping-up operations as spring and summer known as fighting season drawing near in the mountainous country.