Roundup: Taliban militants capture district in E. Afghanistan

Taliban militants after two days of fierce fighting overrun Waygal district in the eastern Nuristan province on Friday, the governor of Waygal district, Rahmatullah Rahmati said.

"Taliban rebels after two days of heavy fighting captured Waygal district and the security forces technically retreated from the area," Rahmati told Xinhua.

He added that some 50 people from both sides have been killed and injured during the clash for the control of the district.

Meanwhile, Sayedull, head of the Provincial Council of Nuristan province, has also confirmed the fall of Waygal district to the Taliban militants.

In talks with Xinhua, he said that the Taliban militants, after entering the Waygal district, besides overrunning some police checkpoints and taking some police personnel to unknown location have also set fire on several houses.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in contact with media outlets confirmed the seizure of Waygal district, claiming that the militants after capturing 16 police checkpoints and inflicting casualties on security personnel had overrun Waygal district Friday morning.

No official was immediately available in the capital city Kabul to comment on the subject.

Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power had captured three districts in the northern Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces over the past two weeks but have later lost them to security forces following counter-offensives.

Since the Taliban outfit launched its annual spring offensive on April 24, militancy and conflicts have seen a sharp spike in conflict-ridden Afghanistan. Endi