Roundup: Rift within Taliban further widens as infighting claims 20 lives in W. Afghanistan

Differences within Taliban have further widened as fighting between supporters of Taliban leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada and commander of breakaway group Mawlawi Mohammad Rasoul Akhund have left at least 20 people dead from both sides in the western Herat province since weekend, local officials said.

The clash, according to Herat provincial governor Jilani Farhad, flared up in Adraskan and Pashtun Zarghon districts on Sunday and ended on Tuesday, during which some two dozen fighters had been killed and several others injured.

Preliminary reports from the area suggested that up to nine fighters loyal to Akhundzada and 11 others from opponent faction had been killed.

The clash, according to the official, flared up between Mullah Asmatullah, the strong commander of Taliban main faction led by Akhundzada, and commander Abdul Manan Niazi loyal to Mullah Rasoul in Abgarmak area of Adraskan district on Sunday and soon covered parts of the neighboring Pashtun Zarghon district.

Civilians have also suffered loss of life and property damage during the infighting between the rival groups, both the officials and locals said.

Although Taliban militants are tightlipped on the report, locals have confirmed the bloody infighting between Taliban groups and called on government to check the incidents which often harm civilians.

"Usually we are the victims of infighting. Taliban forcibly collect 10 percent of our agricultural products from us as tax to support their fighters," a resident of Pashtun Zarghon district told Xinhua, but he refrained from revealing his name due to security concerns.

In the wake of confirmation of the death of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of Taliban, last July and taking charge of Taliban leadership by Mullah Akthar Mohammad Mansoor last August, the armed outfit has divided into two factions and the splinter group leader Mawlawi Mohammad Rasoul Akhund begun fighting Mansoor's men.

Mansoor was killed in a drone attack last month and his successor Haibatullah has failed to unite the Taliban fighters.

More than 200 fighters including some senior commanders from both sides, according to officials, have been killed in the infightings in Herat, Farah, Zabul and other parts of the country over the past three months. Endit