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Taliban suffer heavy casualties in Kunduz: MoD
The Afghan Defense Ministry (MoD) said that the Taliban militants have suffered heavy casualties in clashes in Kunduz province.
In a statement released on Friday, the MoD the clashes started after insurgents attacked security checkpoints of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) on Kunduz-Khanabad highway.
According to the ministry, the Afghan forces conducted clearance operations along the highway in the last two days to crackdown the Taliban presence.
At least 38 Taliban militants were killed and 16 others wounded during the raids, the MoD added.
“The Afghan National Army forces have pushed back the Taliban attacks and cleared the area of Taliban and number of anti-personnel mines planted by the Taliban were neutralized as well,” the statement said.
The ministry, however, did not provide details about the Afghan forces’ casualties.
The Taliban has commented in this regard yet.
This comes as clashes between the Afghan forces and the Taliban fighters have intensified in recent days.
On Thursday, the Taliban attacked security outposts of the public uprising forces in Khwaja Bahauddin district of Takhar province, killing at least 13 pro-government forces and an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier and wounding six more.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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