12 rebels killed as Almar offensive wound up

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): The Afghan National Army (ANA) on Sunday announced wrapping up an operation codenamed “Khanjar-5” in the Almar district of northwestern Faryab province.

The 209^th Shaheen Military Corps in a statement said the operation was launched following an attack by hundreds of militants from neighbouring provinces on the district, killing a 12-year-old boy and capturing Khoshbayee, Halwa Khor and Astal villages.

The Khanjar-5 operation resulted in the killing of 12 militants, including two commanders Mullah Mohammad and Amir Mohammad. Another 18 rebels were injured.

The military said a dozen motorcycles belonging to insurgents were seized and another 20 motorcycles destroyed during the offensive.

Three Afghan Local Police (ALP) members were killed and two others wounded during the operation, the statement said.

Currently, ANA troops have been controlling areas cleared of militants, who had fled to the Turkistan Mountains.

But a Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi denied if militants had suffered casualties, saying Afghan forces were inflicted heavy casualties during clashes in Almar.

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