Roundup: Militancy, counter-militancy claim 60 lives in Afghanistan in 2 days

Taliban-led militancy and Afghan government forces counter-militancy operations have claimed the lives of 60 people with majority of them armed insurgents, according to officials, over the past two days in the conflict- ridden Afghanistan.

In the latest violent incident, a roadside bomb organized by Taliban outfit left a district governor dead in the southern Uruzgan province on Saturday morning, a local official confirmed.

"The governor of Charchino district, Mohammad Ismael Haqyar was on way to office today morning when a roadside bomb organized by militants struck his vehicle in Shah Mashad area leaving him along with his bodyguard dead," spokesman for Uruzgan provincial government, Dost Mohammad Nayab told Xinhua.

In another violent event which occurred in the northern Kunduz province late Friday night, a man in police uniform opened fire and after killing four policemen in a police checkpoint runaway.

The deadly incident, according to police officials happened in Kalagao area, a suburban of Kunduz provincial capital the Kunduz city late Friday night and police have yet to arrest anyone in this regard.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media claimed of responsibility, insisting a Taliban loyalist penetrated into police rank had conducted the attack and after killing four police rejoined the armed outfit.

Moreover, the Ministry of Interior in a statement released here on Saturday reported killing 54 armed insurgents over the past 24 hours.

"A total of 54 armed insurgents have been killed during series of police operations backed by the army and National Directorate for Security to eliminate terrorists and stabilize security in Afghanistan," the statement said.

The operations, according to the statement had been conducted in Nangarhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Sar-e-Pul, Uruzgan, Paktiya and Zabul provinces during which nine more insurgents had been wounded and two others captured.

It didn't say if there were casualties on security personnel.

Taliban outfit fighting the Afghan government to regain power has intensified activities since April 24 when the hardliner armed group launched its so-called annual spring offensive in Afghanistan and since then hundreds of people including militants, security forces and civilians have been killed. Endi