Faryab: 12 rebels killed, 16 police defect to Taliban

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Security officials on Monday claimed killing a dozen militants in northwestern Faryab province, where the Taliban said 17 policemen had joined them in Qaisar district.

Gen. Sherin Shah Kohbandi, the 209th Shaheen Military Corps commander, told Pajhwok Afghan News 11 militants were killed and 19 others wounded during separate clashes with security forces in Qaisar district over the past 24 hours.

However, Gen. Kohbandi said security forces had to retreat in some areas after some police personnel surrendered to the insurgents, linking the defections to lack of coordination between Afghan Local Police (ALP) and Afghan National Police (ANP) personnel.

Two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were also wounded during the clashes.

Qaisar deputy police chief Maj. Nizamuddin said the clashes started on Sunday and stretched into Monday morning. He said 11 rebels were killed and 17 others and a policeman were wounded in the skirmishes.

The Taliban did not comment on their casualties in Qaisar, but claimed 17 highway policemen, led by Obaidullah, had joined them with their weapons in the district.

The militants also said they had captured four security posts in Kanjak, Bashalmast and Katawlang areas of Qaisar.

Niazauddin confirmed 16 policemen had defected to the Taliban abandoning three security posts.

Acting Qaisar district chief Abdul Jamil Sadiqi said 200 families had been displaced as a result of the conflict.

However, Nizamuddin said the exodus had nothing to do with the conflict and the families had migrated to other areas on their own free will. The families shifted their houses in search of better pastures in the area.

Elsewhere in the province, several militants suffered casualties during clashes with security forces in the Pashtunkot district.

Acting Pashtunkot district chief Abdul Qadir Qaderi said one rebel was killed and three others wounded during a clash with members of an uprising group in Qata Labi area of the district.

The upraising commander, Abdul Ahad, said about 200 rebels attacked them, but they put up stiff resistance, killing two attackers and injuring four.

He said he had requested security organs to provide them with weapons and ammunitions, but there had been no response. “If we do not receive weapons, we will stop fighting and leave the areas for rebels to come in,” he warned.

mds/ma

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