Afghan air raids kill 8 militants in Nangarhar

Monitoring Desk

JALALABAD: Eight militants have been confirmed dead as the security forces’ fighting planes stormed Taliban hideout in Khogiani district of the eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday, said an army statement released here Sunday.

The sorties, according to the statement, targeted the militants’ hideout in Wazirotangi area of Khogiani district Saturday afternoon, killing eight armed insurgents on the spot.

Without providing more details, the statement said that no civilian has been harmed. Taliban militants who are operational in parts of the relatively troubled Nangarhar province haven’t commented yet.

Meanwhile, four militants and a police officer were killed in a clash outside Kunduz city, capital of the northern Kunduz province on Sunday morning, provincial government spokesman Esmatullah Muradi said.

The clash broke out after a group of Taliban insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in Angor Bagh area and police returned fire, leaving four attackers dead and forcing others to flee, Muradi said.

A police officer who served as commander of the checkpoint was also killed and another wounded in the firefight, the official said.

Police had launched cleanup operation to stabilize security in the area, Muradi added. Taliban militants haven’t commented. (Xinhua)