12 ANA troops, 5 rebels dead in Kunar clash

ASADABAD (PAN‘s Bajuar tribal region, a military official said on Friday.

The clash broke out on Thursday night and continued until Friday afternoon. The armed rebels attacked a post of ANA’s 201st Selab Military Corps in Narai district, said Col. Noman Hatifi, the corps spokesman. He said nothing about casualties.  

Kunar governor and Ministry of Defence spokesman Gen. Abdul Zahir Azimi confirmed the clash, but they had no details about ANA casualties.

However, an ANA commander of a nearby checkpoint, Mirza Ali, said 12 ANA soldiers and five Taliban fighters were killed in the engagement. The attackers had seized another two ANA soldiers, he said, adding the clash that began last night continued until Friday afternoon.

A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed 15 Afghan soldiers were killed in the attack in Anchagal area. The fighters also seized two RPG, a heavy machinegun and 12 small weapons from the government soldiers, he said.

myn/ma