*KABUL – Commando brigade soldiers are under Taliban siege in Pashton Kotdistrict in Faryab, members of Faryab provincial council said on Monday. *

According to the council members, the commandos are under siege in Sarhawsarea in the province, TOLO News has reported.

They have called on government to send in reinforcement troops urgently andhave warned that if this does not happen the area is at risk of collapsingto the insurgents.

Sebghatullah Silab, a member of Faryab provincial council, said Sarhaws isa strategic area for Taliban and they are determined to take control of it.Officials say there is a hydro-electric power dam in the area which theTaliban want control of.

“They (Taliban) last night cut off the route between another two areas, theYaka Toot and Sarhaws areas, and 40 commandos are under siege and haveno food and water,” said Silab.

Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has meanwhile also expressed his concernsover the Faryab security situation and ordered security departments toaddress the issue.

“I want the defense and interior ministries and the Directorate of NationalSecurity to pay serious attention to conflicts in the provincial capitaland to the pressure on the security forces in the Sarhaws area,” saidAbdullah.

Afghan defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri however said securityforces have made good progress in their operations in Faryab.

“We had operations there and achieved good results,” said Waziri.