Security officials say Taliban’s shadow governor for northern Faryabprovince also killed, Taliban deny claim.

Afghan security forces on Saturday claimed killing nearly 300 Talibaninsurgents, including the group’s shadow governor for the northern Faryabprovince bordering Turkmenistan, in fresh counter-terrorism operations.

The 209 Shaheen Corps of the Afghan National Army said in a statement that286 Taliban fighters were killed and 219 more wounded in operations inFaryab. Four restive districts of the province — Andkhoy, Khaja Sabz Posh,Qaisar, and Almaar — have been cleared of insurgents, it added.

Abdul Kareem, a spokesman for the Faryab police command, told AnadoluAgency that Wakil Ahmad, a notorious Taliban commander known as MullahNazim and serving as shadow governor for the group, was also among thecasualties.

The Taliban, however, rejected the claim, with a spokesman saying thereports were “baseless.”

“We reject this propaganda … The Islamic Emirate’s governor for Faryab ishealthy and is busy with his ‘Jihad’ related tasks,” Qari Yosuf Ahmadi saidin a statement.

This came days before the Taliban and Afghan government representatives areset to resume intra-Afghan talks on Jan. 5 in the Qatari capital Doha.

The talks are aimed at ending the nearly two-decade-long conflict,following a landmark peace deal between the US and the Taliban inked lastFebruary that calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops fromAfghanistan.

Courtesy: Yeni Safak