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Roundup: Afghan forces kill 10 militants, detain Taliban shadowy district governor

Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Afghan security forces in crackdown against the Taliban outfit have killed 10 armed insurgents in the eastern Kunar province and captured a Taliban shadowy district governor in the northern Baghlan province over the past two days, officials said Wednesday.

Units of Afghan National Army (ANA) during operations against militants in parts of the eastern Kunar province launched on Tuesday, have killed 10 armed insurgents, an army officer in the province said.

"Units of ANA launched cleanup operations in parts of Asmar and Ghazi Abad districts, Kunar province on Tuesday and so far 10 militants have been killed and three others wounded," Colonel Shirin Agha, told Xinhua.

The army engineering teams also found and defused several roadside bombs and landmines, the official added.

However, he admitted that one army personnel had been killed and two others wounded during the operation which is going on.

The military crackdown would continue until the militants are swept out from the area, the official said.

Meanwhile, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed the government forces operations in Ghazi Abad district, claiming five civilians were killed by government forces and not the Taliban in the district, a claim rejected by Colonel Shirin Agha as baseless.

Shir Agha insisted all those killed during the ongoing operations were armed Taliban fighters.

In a related incident, Afghan security forces arrested a Taliban shadowy district governor in northern Baghlan province on Wednesday, police said.

"Mullah Nasir, the shadowy governor of Taliban group in Kashandi district of Balkh province, was captured by security personnel on a highway in Shamarq area of Baghlan province today morning," provincial police spokesman Jawed Basharat told Xinhua.

The arrested Taliban element Mullah Nasir was going from Balkh to Kabul through highway, the official said, adding security personnel, acting upon intelligence report, identified and arrested him. Endit