As many as 25 government forces were killed after their outposts came under Taliban attacks in the northern Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces, local sources told Kabul Now.
Last night, the Taliban militants launched attacks on Afghan security forces in Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province and clashes between the government forces and the militants last till Tuesday morning, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi, head of Kunduz Provincial Council, told Kabul Now, today, Tuesday, January 19. He said the Taliban militants launched attack on Kunduz city too.
16 government forces, including 12 soldiers of Afghan National Army and four members of People’s Uprising Forces, lost their lives and four other were wounded last night in Dasht-e-Archi district, he said.
Six government forces were killed in Bagh-e-Sheerkat area of Kunduz city and three others were wounded, according to Mr. Ayubi.
This comes while as many as three Afghan soldiers were killed and four others wounded after their outpost came under multiple attacks by the Taliban militants in Jurm district of Badakhshan province.
Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of Badakhshan Provincial Council, told Kabul Now that last night the Taliban militants launched attacks from multiple directions on outpost of Afghan security forces in Pul-e-Souch area of Jurm district of Badakhshan, which killed three Afghan soldiers and wounded four others.
The Taliban have taken three Afghan soldiers as hostages, according to Mr. Nazari.
But an Afghan security official gives a different account about causality rate of government forces in the two provinces.
Abdul Hadi Nazari, spokesperson for 217 Pamir Corps, told Kabul Now that four Afghan security forces lost their lives and six others were wounded in Taliban attacks in Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces. He said that the Afghan forces have killed 19 Taliban militants and wounded 25 others.
Zabehullah Mujaheed, a spokesperson for the Taliban, claimed that the militants have killed 21 Afghan forces and wounded three others in Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz. As many as 18 Afghan forces were killed in Kunduz city, according to Mujaheed.