KABUL (AA): At least 36 members of the Afghan security forces and 22Taliban rebels have been killed in fresh clashes in the country’s north,officials and local media confirmed Tuesday.
The renewed fighting coincides with a two-day round of peace talks nowunderway in Moscow between Taliban representatives and several Afghanofficials (not affiliated with the Kabul government).
Safiullah Amiri, deputy chairman of the provincial assembly of Kunduzprovince on the border with Tajikistan, told Anadolu Agency that the rebelshad overrun a number of checkpoints manned by army, police andpro-government militiamen late Monday.
Amiri confirmed that 36 security personnel had been killed — and at least20 more injured — in the attacks.
The Afghan Defense Ministry, for its part, said the Taliban assault inKunduz had been repulsed.
“The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces repelled the enemy attackin the Khwaja Pak and Taloka areas on the outskirts of Kunduz city lastnight at around 1:00 a.m. [local time],” read a ministry statement.
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At least 22 rebels were killed and another 18 injured, the ministry added,going on to note that a number of security personnel had been “martyred” inthe fighting.
Similar rebel attacks reportedly occurred in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlanprovince, where, according to local Azadi Radio, as many as 10 securitypersonnel were killed in coordinated assaults by the Taliban.
Claiming credit for both onslaughts, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahedsaid in a statement that four checkpoints had been completely overrun.
Mujahed added that at least 40 Afghan forces had been killed in Kunduz andBaghlan.Post navigation
