35 road workers killed in Taliban attack

GARDEZ (PAN insurgents attacked a private construction company office in southeastern Paktia province on Thursday, killing 35 people, including labourers, security guards and engineers, officials said.

Another 24 people were injured when a group of militants attacked guards of the company, The Galaxy Sky Company, responsible for security of a road project on the Khost-Gardez highway, in Saroti Kandaw area of Wazi Zadran district, deputy governor, Abdul Rahman Mangal, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Thirty-five security guards were killed in the Wednesday night attack and 24 others were injured, with many more missing, he said.

Mangal said police reinforcements were sent to the area to take the injured guards to hospital.

 “The clash lasted five hours between security guards and Taliban. Seventy-two of 80 guards were either killed or injured,” the company director, Habibullah, said.

A dozen of machines and two vehicles were torched during the attack, public works director, Abdullah Durani, said. he said 72 guards were missing after the attack.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said 40 guards had been killed and many others injured in the attack.

He said their two fighters were also killed. More than 20 machineries were torched and eight vehicles 50 arms were seized by the fighters, he said.

Paktia has a long border with neighboring Pakistan, from where Taliban forces allegedly cross to attack Afghan and coalition forces.

myn/ma

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