Taliban shadow deputy governor for Helmand among 5 killed in ambush

Monitoring Desk

LASHKRGAH: Taliban shadow deputy governor for Helamand province and his four aides were killed in an ambush and shadow governor was reported killed in airstrike two days ago, sources said Saturday.

Mullah Naser, Taliban shadow deputy governor for Helmand, was on way to Nawzad district Nov. 30 when ambushed by unknown gunmen, informed sources told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). “The gunmen killed Mullah Naser and his four aides in the attack and set their vehicle on fire as result the bodies were badly burned,” the sources said.

Local residents confirmed that Mullah Naser was on way to attend a Jirga in connection with a dispute but it was unclear who are the attackers. When contacted, spokesman of Helmand governor, Omar Zwak, said they were aware of the death of Taliban deputy governor but had no further details.

Meanwhile, Taliban shadow governor for Helmand, Mullah Manan Akhund, was killed after an airstrike in the Musa Kala district of the same province two days ago, sources said. There was no word by Taliban in this regard. Mullah Naser was an influential Taliban commander and was also leading the Taliban special forces’ called “Red Unit” in the province. He was considered to be the main planner of the fall of several districts to the Taliban.

Meanwhile, the armed opponents and civilians suffered casualties in separate incidents in various parts of the country, officials said. Sixteen anti-government gunmen were killed and six more sustained injuries as a result of bombardment in Ashizo area in Chora district last night, Uruzgan governor’s spokesman Dost Muhammad Nayab told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).

Nayab said the Afghan civilians did not suffer any casualties in the blitz. However, some sources said the dead included three minors and a woman while the injured included three women and a child. Separately, the Afghan and foreign combined forces conducted operation in Umar Khel area in Narkh district of Wardak province last night, reliable sources told AIP.

The armed opponents and civilians suffered casualties in the offensive, the sources said. Accurate information about casualties is not available at the moment, the sources added.

Meanwhile, Wardak governor’s spokesman Abdul Rehman Mangal told AIP that 10 Taliban fighters were killed and another sustained injuries in the offensive. The Afghan civilians did not suffer any casualties in the operation of Afghan and foreign forces, he said. He added that the reports about civilian casualties in the offensive were false.

Meanwhile, Afghan defense ministry on Saturday announced that 68 anti-government gunmen including nine Daesh fighters were killed during separate operations over the past 24 hours.

Ten Daesh fighters among 70 more were wounded during the ground and aerial operations conducted by Afghan forces in Nangarhar, Paktiya, Paktika, Ghazni, Khost, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Farah, Jowzjan, Faryab, Kunduz and Helmand province, the defense ministry said in a statement. The security forces also eliminated arms and hideout of gunmen during the operation. There was no independent confirmation of the defense ministry’s claim.