ANDSF kills key Taliban commanders

KABUL (Khaama Press): At least 26 Taliban members including three commanders were killed and 33 others wounded in an Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) operation in Faryab province, Faryab police said in a statement.

inistry of Defense in a released statement on Saturday said, at least 26 Taliban including group’s three key commanders were killed and 33 others were wounded in Afghan national defense and security forces operation in Faryab province.

According to the statement air and ground raids were carried on Taliban positions in Sarchakan village of Gurziwan district. Mullah Attaullah, head of the red unit of Taliban in the province and Qari Shakib, head of a 100-member unit, and Qari Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Arab another key Taliban commander were among the 26 militants killed during the operations.

The Taliban affiliates had came together from Ghor, Sar-e-Pul, and Faryab provinces to plan, prepare and carryout attacks on ANDSF positions in the district center, the statement read. ANDSF also discovered and destroyed a large number of weapons and vehicles belonging to the Taliban during the operation. MoD in another published statement said that Afghan defense forces backed by Air Force targeted Taliban fighters in Dand-e-Shahabuddin district of Baghlan province.

At least nine Taliban fighters including group’s key commanders named as “Khwani, Ezatullah and Mohammad Haqqani” were killed and eight others were wounded during the ANDSF operations. Meanwhile, Abdul Manaf Nazari spokesman for Badaskhshan border brigade said during an extensive ground and air operations in Nusi Darwaz, Taliban have suffered heavy casualties.

According to him the intensified battle happened and Taliban’s stronghold collapsed to the Afghan government. A local source on condition of anonymity told media, that at least 20 Taliban fighters were killed during the conflict. In the skirmishes one public uprising unit member is said to have been killed and another wounded. On the other hand, 217th Shaheen Corps of Ministry of Defense stated that 16 Taliban militants were killed and three of the group’s stronghold has fallen to the government forces. Taliban have not yet commented on the operations conducted by ANDSF in the regions.