Kabul: 132 Taliban insurgents and a number of security forces and civilians have been killed in fresh Afghan violence on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the officials.
The fresh fighting erupted after the insurgents attacked and captured Gulistan district of western Farah and Arghandab district of southern Kandahar provinces Monday evening.
The Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), backed by US-led Coalition and ISAF forces, have launched major offensive operation to recapture the province and put an end to the Taliban’s control.
Police Chief of Kanadahar province, Said Agha Saqib, on Wednesday told media that the insurgents were ousted from some of the villages of Arghandab district and some areas were still in their control but the Forces had besieged the area and tried to avoid civilian casualties.
‘Over 50 insurgents and four police men have been killed so far in the fighting and the operation is still continuing’ added Police Chief.
Eyewitnesses from Kandahar said that people were leaving the area.
In Farah’s Gulistan province, according to provincial Police Chief Abdul Rehman Sarjang, over 40 insurgents, 8 police and 7 civilians have been killed in the two days fighting and the operation is still on its way to eliminate ‘the anti-government elements’.
In central Ghazni province’s Gailan district, the district’s Incharge Mehboob Ullah said Wednesday that US-led coalition forces targeted a meeting of the insurgents which resulted in the killing of 40 anti-government fighters.
‘We had credible information about the Taliban insurgents. We have found their bodies. Two local Taliban commanders Mullah Shafiq and Mullah Abdul Haye, were among the dead’ he added.
In Kabul, spokesman of Defence Ministry General Zahir Azimi announced Wednesday that a new operation was launched against the Taliban insurgents in western Badghis and northern Faryab provinces in which two insurgents were killed and 16 others captured.
‘The operation will be continued until we crush all the anti-government elements in the area’ he told. He also said that exactly one thousand Afghan soldiers were participating in the operation.
If all these claims of the officials prove to be true, it is the biggest casualty to the insurgents who are now not in stable and active position like they were a few months ago. It seems that they are under continuously attacks of the Afghan forces which are supported by ISAF and Coalition forces.
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