KABUL, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Five militants were killed following an explosion in Afghanistan's western province of Farah on Monday, the country's Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

"Five armed Taliban were killed by their own explosives while they were planting a landmine in Nehal Dasht village, Posht Rod district, western Farah province," the ministry said in a statement. 

The province has been the scene of heavy clashes between Taliban and security forces since earlier this year. 

Taliban militants and Islamic State fighters have been using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians as well as the militants.

On Monday, 16 Taliban militants were killed in a similar incident in eastern Ghazni province.