12 militants killed in N. Afghan clashes
Xinhua, February 12, 2015 Adjust font size:
About 12 Taliban militants were killed and seven security force members injured in two separate clashes in northern Afghanistan on Thursday, sources said.
In one attack, nine militants were killed and six soldiers sustained injuries after the security forces encountered a group of militants during routine patrol in Imam Sahib District of northern Kunduz province, district governor Amanuddin Quraishi told Xinhua.
A pursuit operation was launched against the fleeing rebels following the clash which took place on Thursday morning, the official added.
In the neighboring Takhar province, three militants were killed after armed insurgents carried out an attack on a security checkpoint in Khwaja Ghar District earlier in the day, a provincial government spokesman said.
Three militants and a police cop were wounded during exchange of fire, spokesman Senatullah Timor told Xinhua.
Since Jan. 1, Afghan security forces have assumed the full security responsibility from NATO and U.S. forces after the NATO- led troops switched from the combat to a support role.
The Taliban militant group has intensified attacks with a string of bombings and armed attacks over the past couple of months.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, told local media that their fighters have inflected casualties on the security forces during the above skirmishes. Endit