Near 100 Afghan soldiers surrender, flee before Afghan Taliban: Officials
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KABUL - Over 100 Afghan soldiers have either surrendered before Afghan Taliban or fleeing the country's border over fear of being captured.
At least 58 members of the border forces, the Afghan ministry said, were captured by the Taliban.
Fifty-eight members of the Afghan Border Police, who crossed the border into Turkmenistan following heavy battles with Taliban militants, have returned home through the Torghundi Port in the western Herat province on Monday, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The forces came under attack by Taliban militants in Bala Murghab district, which shares border with Turkmenistan, in the northwest of Afghanistan, almost two weeks ago. The battle, according to Ministry of Defense, continued for two weeks.
The ministry said women and children also accompanied the soldiers when they crossed the border into Turkmenistan after they came under pressure by Taliban militants.
“Search operations will continue until we release them,” the statement added.
“From among 150 security force members, some of them surrendered to the Taliban due to the compulsion and some other were forced to flee,” said Abdul Aziz Bek, member of Badghis Provincial Council.
