Roundup: Afghan gov't recaptures northern Darqad district, hoists national flag

Following days of fierce fighting, the Afghan government's security forces reclaimed the control of Darqad district in Takhar province on Sunday, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here.

Afghan National Security Forces launched an operation on January 8 against Taliban rebels in Darqad district, Takhar province and hoisted the national flag there after evicting enemies from the area on Sunday, the statement said.

According to the statement, 20 militants have been killed and four others wounded during the operations and the district is "now in the control of the Afghan forces."

The cleanup operation continues against armed insurgents in insecure villages of Darqad district, the statement added.

Earlier in the day, spokesman for Takhar provincial government, Sanatullah Timor, told Xinhua that the government forces after killing 25 Taliban militants and injuring 20 others entered the district headquarters and swept out all government buildings from the insurgents.

According to Timor, 40 more suspected Taliban insurgents have been captured and the cleanup operation would last until the district is cleared from the Taliban fighters.

Taliban militants who overrun the strategically important Darqad district along the border with Tajikistan in mid October 2015 rebuffed government claim on taking ground in Darqad district on Saturday, and have yet to comment on the recapturing the district by government forces.

The residents of Takhar, according to a statement of Takhar provincial government have congratulated recapturing Darqad district to national security forces and appreciated them for launching successful operations there.

Recapturing Darqad district, according to local analysts would serve as morale boosting for government forces to pursue Taliban militants in their hideouts in Takhar and the neighboring Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces in the freezing winter to gain more grounds and shrink their grip. Enditem