Eight Afghan forces, seven police men and one army soldier, lost their lives after their outposts came under Taliban attack in the central Daikundi province, local officials confirmed.
According to Gul Aqa Sajjadi, spokesperson for the provincial police chief, the Taliban launched attacks on two outposts in Kijran district of the province. Following the attacks clashes broke out and lasted for about an hour earlier this morning, November 24.
Though local officials confirmed a police man wounded, local media outlets reported that five people were wounded in the Taliban attack.
Without providing details, Sajjadi added that the Taliban militants also suffered casualties upon arrival of reinforcement in the area.
Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman claimed that 11 Afghan forces were killed in the attack. He added that the militants have seized weaponry and ammunitions, too.
Kijran has become Daikundi’s most insecure district in recent year as the Taliban have carried out around seven attacks on the district this year.
Bordering with the volatile southern Urozgan and Helmand provinces, Kijran, Patu, and Nawamish districts of Daikundi periodically come under the Taliban attacks.
In June 2019, the Taliban insurgents kicked off a campaign to take control over southern Kijran district in central Daikundi province. The attack forced thousands of Afghan families flee the area.
On the other hand, Haneef Rezaie, who is spokesperson for Afghanistan 209 Shaheen Military Corps, in the north of the country, said that a Taliban red unit commander was killed along with his 23 Taliban fighters in operation carried out by the Afghan security and defense forces in Darzab district of Jowzjan province.
He identified the militants red unit commander as Mawlawi Noor Mohammad who was known as Ayoubi.
According to him, Taliban’s shadow district governor for Darzab was also wounded along with 15 other Taliban militants in the operation.