As many as 64 Taliban militants have been killed and 18 others wounded as the result of counterattacks by Afghan security forces and an airstrike conducted by international forces over past 24 hours in four provinces of Afghanistan, security sources confirmed.
As per account of government sources, the Taliban have suffered these fatalities in Kandahar, Ghazni, Paktika, and Zabul provinces. The sources claimed that no Afghan security force was harmed in either of the clashes primarily kicked off by the Taliban militants.
In a statement issued last night, July 20, Kandahar police department confirmed that a total of 37 Taliban militants were killed and six others were injured in Takhtapul, Arghistan, and Maruf districts of the southern province. Inter alia, the statement confirms that 25 Taliban militants who had staged attack on police outpost in Takhtapul district were killed by airstrike of “foreign troops” in Tur area of the district. The rest were killed and wounded in counterattacks of Afghan forces in Maruf and Arghistan districts.
Moreover, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed in a statement that 15 Taliban militants were killed and six others were injured yesterday, July 20, in Paktika and Ghazni provinces.
Gul Islam Sayal, spokesperson for Zabul governor, meanwhile, told Kabul Now that Afghan forces pushed back a Taliban offensive in Atghar and Mezan districts of the province. He added that 12 militants were killed and six others wounded in counterattacks of Afghan forces.
The Taliban, however, have not commented regarding the incidents.
However, a total of seven army soldiers were confirmed dead and nine others wounded when their military convoy was hit by a Taliban claimed truck bombing in Sayed Abad district of Maidan Wardak province. The incident took place on Monday afternoon, July 20.
On the other hand, a civilian was killed in a landmine explosion targeted a police contracted compound in Pul-e-Khumri, capital city of the northern Baghlan province, according to Jawed Besharat, spokesperson for the province police chief. The incident happened around 06:30 AM this morning, July 21, smashing windows of a radio station close to the incident site.
