KABUL, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Wednesday began joint operations against Taliban insurgents in the Ajiristan district of central Afghanistan's Ghazni province where recently has been occupied by the anti-government militants, said an ISAF statement.

The district center was taken over by Taliban militants in retaliation of the arrest of a key militant leader by the Afghan police on Monday.

"Governor Osman Osmani, other Afghan civil and military leaders in Ghazni and ISAF coordinated their effort to re-take the Ajiristan district Center," the statement said.

Joint operations began on Wednesday with a coordinated airstrike on insurgents armed with AK-47 rifles and rocket propelled grenades inside the village of Ajiristan killing and injuring several insurgents, it said, adding "the combined operations in the area are ongoing."

Earlier in July, the governor of Ghazni province has warned that Taliban fighters have gathered in Ghazni and were trying to use the province as the front-line to mount pressure on Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

Militia loyal to Taliban had massed hundreds of militants in Arghandab district of the southern Kandahar province last month but government troops with the support of NATO smashed them and re-established law and order there.