Kabul: One suicide bomber, several civilians and a number of Taliban insurgents have been killed in fresh Afghan clashes.
The US-led coalition forces have confirmed killing of ‘several’ civilians during an operation against the militants in eastern Paktika province Friday morning.
‘Acting on credible intelligence, Afghan and Coalition Forces conducted an operation in the Waza Khawa District to disrupt violent extremist activities in the area. Upon reaching the compound, the combined team met with heavy resistance. Several militants fired upon them with semi-automatic weapons and grenades, most of which detonated within mere meters of the Afghan and Coalition force members. Several Coalition force members were wounded as a result of heavy fighting. They were evacuated under fire from the immediate area and subsequently evacuated to a Coalition medical facility for further treatment’ said a statement issued by the coalition forces.
It has further said that ‘The combined team responded with small-arms fire and precision-guided munitions destroying only the building housing the militants while some damage occurred to other buildings on the compound. During the follow-on assessment, Coalition forces found several adult males, an adult female, and one child dead and two children wounded in the building housing the militants, who were engaging the combined force.’
A local Afghan official and another Coalition statement have confirmed that several militants were killed in the operation.
Elsewhere, in another Eastern province Kunar, officials said they opened fire on a suicide bomber after he failed to stop at the Nari district.
‘In the result of firing, the suicide bomber detonated himself, killed himself and wounded four civilians’ said Zarghoon Shah Khaliqyar, an official of the police department.
Also the Taliban have claimed killing of two ‘spies’ in Khost province but officials did not confirm the news.