30 armed insurgents killed in ANSF operations

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: At least 30 armed insurgents were killed during Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) operations in the past 24 hours in different parts of the country, the Ministry of Defense (Mo) said in a statement on Saturday. According to the statement, the operations were conducted in Nangarhar, Ghazni, Uruzgan, Herat, Farah, Badghis, Faryab, Badakhshan and Helmand provinces.

During the operations four insurgents were wounded and a suspect was also arrested, the MoD said. No further details were given by the ministry.

Meanwhile, in a separate clash in Zabul province at least four policemen were killed in a clash with Taliban, local officials said on Saturday. The clash broke out between the Taliban and police on Saturday at 3am in Arghandab district when a group of Taliban attacked a police check post, local officials said.

Amir Jan Alkozai, Arghandab’s district governor, said the Taliban also suffered casualties in the clash and two Taliban members were arrested. He did not however give details regarding Taliban casualties. The Taliban has also not commented on the clash.

Meanwhile, at least two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack on a check post in Sar-e-Pul province, local officials said. Mohammad Hanif Rezaee, a spokesman for Shaheen 209 Military Corps in Balkh province said the Taliban attacked an army check post in Balghali village in Sar-e-Pul province and killed two soldiers and wounded three others. Rezaee said the attack lasted for more than thirty minutes. He said the wounded soldiers were transferred to the Shaheen 209 Military Corps hospital where they are in a stable condition.

However, reports indicate that Taliban took three tanks with them but Rezaee rejected these claims. Rezaee said that after the clash Taliban fled the area. This comes after Rezaee said at least 14 Taliban were killed in army airstrikes in Sheram village in Sar-e-Pul province. Seven others were wounded.