Taliban suffer heavy casualties in Paktika, Urozgan operations

At least 54 Taliban militants were killed and 20 others wounded in operations by the Afghan forces in Paktika and Urozgan province.

The Afghan forces carried out a joint operation from Friday midnight until Saturday noon to crackdown the Taliban presence in Yosuf Khel district of Paktika province.

Nisar Ahmad Abdurahimzai, the provincial police chief told Ariana News that at least 31 insurgents including three key commanders of the Taliban were killed and six others wounded.

According to him, the commanders were identified as Omar, the Taliban shadow district governor for the Paktika’s center, Sadat, the group’s military chief, and Motasim, a commander of the Taliban.

The security official said that three dead bodies the Taliban have remained on the battlefield, adding that the Afghan forces have also seized a number of Taliban weapons and ammo.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said that Afghan commando forces conducted ground and air operations in parts of Tarinkot, the capital of Urozgan province.

As a result, at least 23 militants – including a group’s commander known as Mullah Samsor – were killed and 14 more injured, the ministry added.

The Taliban militant group, however, denied its casualties in Oruzgan and called a “propaganda” by the Afghan government but the group yet to comment on the incident in Paktika.