KABUL: Two Afghan national security force members and 45 Taliban militants were killed and five security force members and 23 militants were wounded during separate clashes on Friday night in Afghanistan, authorities said Saturday. Two soldiers and 12 militants were killed and five soldiers and five militants were wounded after a group of Taliban stormed security checkpoints from several directions in Baharak district of northern Takhar province, Mohammad Jawad Hijri of the provincial government told Xinhua.
Some 25 militants were killed and 14 others wounded during similar fightings in Andar district of Ghazni and Musa Khil district of neighboring Khost province, officials from the army’s 203 Thunder confirmed. Three Taliban divisional commanders were among the killed militants in Khost. In southern Helmand province, eight militants were killed and four others wounded after clashes erupted in Marja and Nahri Saraaj districts, the army’s 215 Corps said in a statement. Two militants’ motorcycles, several rounds of weapons as well as ammunition were destroyed by Afghan soldiers following the clashes.
The fresh clashes have raised question about the peace deal signed between the Taliban and the United States in February. According to the agreement, more than 10,000 foreign forces, including over 8,000 Americans, will withdraw from Afghanistan by July next year.–Agencies
