Afghan troops destroy narcotics in restive province

KABUL, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan troops waged an anti-drug operation and destroyed a large amount of narcotics in eastern Ghazni province Sunday night, the country's Interior Ministry said Monday.

"Counter-Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) supported by Afghan Air Force launched a special night raid operation in Zowej and Shahgul Khil villages of Dih Yak district, in eastern of the provincial capital Ghazni city Sunday night. The CNPA destroyed more than 80 tons of hashish," the ministry said in a statement.

The destruction of the narcotics was a heavy blow to Taliban militants as they have been using profits from the illegal drugs to fund insurgency, the statement noted.

No further details were available about the operation which was launched in the province, 125 km south of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.

Much of the world's opium poppy is cultivated in the militancy-hit country, particularly in western and southern parts, where government security forces have relatively little presence.