At least 53 militants were killed in past 24 hours during military operations in Afghanistan, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.About 16 militants were injured and three detained during the raids conducted in 10 of the country's 34 provinces, Xinhua news agency cited a statement as saying.The joint forces also found weapons and defused dozens of improvised explosive devices and landmines during the raids.The statement also confirmed loss of nine army personnel over the same period.The Taliban-led violence has declined over the recent weeks as Afghan security forces have stepped up operations while the NATO-led forces have increased drone strikes against the militants across the country.