KABUL (SW) – Heavy fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan National Defense and Security forces took place in five provinces, reported officials.
Overnight, fierce fighting broke out in Logar, Faryab, Uruzgan, Baghlan and Kunar provinces as the Taliban claimed to overrun Garziwan in Faryab, Azra in Logar and Charchino district in Uruzgan province.
Locals fleeing Logar amid fall of check posts to Taliban
Security forces ‘tactically retreat’ from Deh Rarod in Uruzgan
Faizullah Rahmani, the district chief of Garziwan in Faryab province, told Salam Watandar that the district had fallen to the Taliban due to a lack of support and combat equipment for the ANDSF. He said that after fierce resistance and a lack of government support, the district was handed over to the Taliban through the mediation of clerics and tribal elders.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that in addition to capturing Garziwan district, at least 300 security personnel also surrendered.
Fighting has also been reported in Uruzgan, with Taliban insurgents claiming to have captured district police headquarters in Charchino district with arms and ammunition.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Sadiq Issa, a spokesman for the Attal Corps, told Salam Watandar that the checkpoint in Charchino district had not been handed over to the Taliban, but had been moved to Tirinkot, the capital of Uruzgan province, with all its military equipment.
In addition, fierce fighting broke out between Afghan security forces and Taliban insurgents in Azra district of Logar province with both sides claiming to inflict heavy casualties on the opponents. The Taliban said they have captured the Azra district.
Hundreds of families have been displaced in Ghaziabad district of Kunar province due to Taliban insurgency.
There are also reports from Baghlan province that fighting is going on in three parts of Pul-e-Khumri city of the province and three highways of the province are under the control of Taliban.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry said in a statement that 221 Taliban insurgents were killed and 88 others were wounded in the past 24 hours. Fawad Aman, the defense ministry spokesman said the Taliban had killed in Kunar, Ghazni, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, Farah, Ghor, Balkh, Faryab, Helmand, Nimroz, Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces.
Amid raging violence, at least 70 districts have reportedly fallen to the Taliban in recent days.
ENDS
