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Roundup: Taliban overrun district in NE Afghanistan, gov't forces launches counter-offensive

Xinhua, September 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

Taliban militants, after several days of fierce fighting, overran Raghistan district in Badakhshan province with Faizabad as its capital 315 km northeast of the national capital Kabul city on Friday, a local official said.

"Taliban rebels after bloody fighting and suffering huge casualties entered the headquarters of Raghistan district, forcing security forces to retreat," district police chief Mohammad Ishaq told Xinhua.

An elder of the district, Abdul Rauf Bai in talks with Xinhua confirmed the fall of Raghistan district and said that the fighting between security forces and Taliban militants has been continuing outside district headquarters.

Taliban militants, according to local officials entered the headquarters of Raghistan district at 04:00 a.m. local time and set on fire several government departments and entities.

Meanwhile, hours later, the government forces launched counter- offensive to evict the advancing Taliban militants from Raghistan district and ensure law and order there, Badakhshan provincial police chief General Baba Jan said.

"Units of police backed by the army and helicopter gunships launched counter-offensive in Raghistan district at 10:00 a.m. local time today killing and injuring nearly four dozen insurgents, " Baba Jan told Xinhua.

He also asserted that 22 bodies of Taliban fighters had been left on the battle ground and more than two dozen others sustained injuries.

The Badakhshan police chief has also confirmed that two security personnel have been killed and five other injured in the fighting which is still going on.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for Taliban outfit in contact with media from unknown location confirmed the battle for the control of Raghistan district, saying the militants have killed over a dozen soldiers there, a claim rebuffed by Badakhshan police chief Baba Jan as baseless.

Raghistan which borders Tajikistan, according to local observers is strategically important and if captured by Taliban would enable the militants to penetrate into Ashkashim and Wakhan districts and eventually destabilizes more regions. Endi