Taliban attacks have forced more than 500 families to leave their homes in Yaftal e Payan district of the northeastern Badakhshan province, a local source said.
Nik Mohammad Nazari, the spokesperson for Badakhshan governor, said the Taliban attacks on residential areas were launched a few days ago.
The displaced people moved to Faizabad city where they are given shelters by the government, he added.
While the Taliban use civilians as shields to protect themselves, the operations to clear the district from the Taliban presence are carried out cautiously by security and defense forces as not to harm civilians and avoid to damage residential areas.
So far, eight Taliban militants were killed and 15 others including Abdul Rahman Ammar, a Taliban shadow governor in Shahr-e Bozorg district, wounded.
According to Mr. Nazari, two members of People Uprising Force – a pro-government militia – were killed and one other wounded during the operation.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
