KABUL (Tolo News): Senior officials from the Ministry of Defense on Saturday confirmed that Taliban has suffered heavy casualties in the ongoing airstrikes on hideouts of the group in Bala Murghab and Ab Kamari districts in the northwest of Afghanistan. The conflict in Bala Murghab district entered its third day on Saturday. It was under Taliban siege for two days.
The Ministry of Defense’s deputy spokesman Col. Zubair Arif said the Special Unit of the Army is fighting against the Taliban and that the militants have been pushed back from key parts of the district. “The operations will continue until the districts are fully cleared of the enemy,” he said. The Resolute Support said in a statement that the US airstrikes hit five Taliban positions in support of Afghan Security Forces in Bala Murghab district in Badghis province.
The statement added that air assets will be in position today to continue that support. Sources confirmed that almost 36 members of the Afghan forces were killed in the two-day clashes in Bala Murghab district which started on April 4. “The Afghan Defense and Security Forces are carrying out clearance and air operations led by the First Deputy Minister of Defense Yasin Zia in Bala Murghab and Ab Kamari districts in Badghis which have inflicted heavy losses to the enemy,” said Qais Mangal, spokesman for Ministry of Defense. He said the operations are ongoing and will continue until the areas are cleared of militants.
This is the second time in a month that Bala Murghab comes under attack by militants. Last time, the district came under Taliban attack early in March and was under siege for more than two weeks, leaving more than two dozen security forces dead and almost 28 of them gone missing. This comes as the conflicts have intensified in different parts of the country with the arrival of the spring season – which is deemed as a usual fighting season for insurgents fighting the Afghan government forces.
President Ashraf Ghani on April 2 approved the annual security plan which encompasses boosting security and fighting insurgents. Khaama Press adds: At least 15 militants including three members of the notorious Haqqani terrorist network were killed during the latest operations conducted in past 24 hours. Informed military sources said Saturday that the Afghan Special Forces conducted a raid against Haqqani fighters in Terayzai district of Khost province killing 3 Haqqani fighters and destroying a small weapons cache.
The sources further added that an air strike in Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province killed 4 Taliban fighters while 5 others were killed in a similar airstrike conducted in Bermal district of Paktiak province. “An airstrike was conducted in Arghandab district of Zabul province killed 3 Taliban fighters and wounded 1 other,” the sources added. The anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented regarding the operations so far.
Meanwhile, at least nine Taliban fighters were killed during the operations of the Afghan National Army forces in southern Zabul and southeastern Paktiya provinces, informed military sources said. “The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in Shinkai district district of Zabul province, conducted a strike killing 3 Taliban fighters,” the sources said. The sources further added that the ANA 203rd Corps conducted a strike of near Shabaz Village in Gardez district of Paktiay province leaving 6 Taliban fighters dead. The anti-government armed militants including Taliban have not commented regarding the operations so far.
Both Zabul and Paktiya provinces are among the relatively volatile provinces in southern and southeastern parts of Afghanistan. Taliban militants and insurgents belonging to other groups including the notorious Haqqani network are active in some of the districts of Paktiya and Zabul provinces. Also, at least 53 ISIS Khurasan militants were killed during a multi-day operation of the Afghan Special Forces in eastern Nangarhar province. According to informed military sources, the operations were conducted in the vicinity of Barsengani village in Khogyani district of Nangarhar.
The sources further added “A multi-day clearance operation by Afghan Special Forces targeting ISIS-K forces in Bar Sengani in Nangarhar has killed 53 fighters.” The anti-government armed militants including ISIS loyalists have not commented regarding the operations so far. Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in East of Afghanistan but the Taliban and ISIS-K militants are active in some of its remote districts and often attempt to carry out terrorist related activities in this province.
