Commanders among 350 Taliban killed

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: As many as 350 Taliban fighters including commanders were killed during operations in various parts of the country over the past one week, the defence ministry announced on Sunday.

According to a defence ministry press release available with Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), the Afghan forces conducted fierce ground operations and airstrikes on Taliban bases in various parts of the country in the past seven days.

The ground operations and airstrikes were conducted in Sangin district of Helmand, Suncharak district of Sare Pul, Dasht-e-Qilla district of Takhar, Qara Bagh, Andar, Waghaz and Deh Yak districts of Ghazni, Hisarak district of Nangarhar, Zurmat district of Paktiya, Sholgara district of Balkh, Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar and Tarinkot city of Uruzgan.

The press release stated that 350 Taliban fighters including 12 commanders were killed in the offensive and strikes.

The fallen commanders were identified as Mullah Shafiqullah, Mullah Zanzir, Mullah Noor Ahmad alias Khalid, Abdullah, Zahidullah, Yousaf Badruddin, Mullah Faizullah, Maulvi Naimatullah, Maulvi Mehdi, Mullah Noorul Haq and Mullah Taimoor Shah, the press release said.

According to the press release, Mullah Noorul Haq and Mullah Taimoor Shah were Taliban’s shadow governor for Suncharak and Balkh districts respectively.

Dozens of sanctuaries, weapon caches and other facilities of Taliban were eliminated in the operation, the press release stated.

The press release, however, did not say anything about casualties to Afghan forces. (AIP)

Taliban launched coordinated attack against Maiwand military corps headquarters the other day. According to independent sources, 35 Afghan soldiers were killed and 42 more injured in the attack. Twenty seven gunmen took part in the attack. All the attackers were killed. (AIP)