ASADABAD, Afghanistan, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — Up to three Taliban militants were killed after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) they were planting along a main road went off prematurely in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar on Monday, police said.

“The explosion took place in Panjshir Naw area of Nurgal district at around 6:00 a.m. local time. Police personnel inspected the site shortly after the blast and found two AK-47 guns at the area,” provincial police chief Abdul Habib Sayyedkhel told Xinhua.

The police chief said that the bodies of the killed will be handed over to Afghan Red Crescent Society’s authorities later on the day.

The Taliban militant group has been using IEDs to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians, according to military officials.

The Taliban has intensified attacks over the past months as the militant group tries to take territory and consolidate its positions ahead of winter in the country.