Afghan army recovers, destroys 40 improvised bombs in 24 hrs

KABUL, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Afghan army personnel found and destroyed 40 different improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines over the last 24 hours, Afghan defense ministry said Wednesday.

"The deadly weapons were found and destroyed by Afghan National Army (ANA) engineering teams in different provinces since early Tuesday, naturalizing several potential explosions," the ministry said in a statement.

Finding and neutralizing the weapons remained a challenge for Afghan security forces.

Twelve civilians died and one person injured after a running vehicle touched off an IED over the weekend in western Herat province.