Surrendering Taliban leader killed in Nangarhar

JALALABAD/HERAT CITY (PAN commander who had recently joined the peace process was killed in eastern Nangarhar province, officials said on Monday.

In western Herat province, one militant was killed and 15 others detained during an operation by the Afghan National Army’s commando unit.

In Nangarhar, the former Taliban commander, Aseel, was killed by a brother of a former jihadi in the Sherzad district, administrative head of the town, Mirza Mohammad Nasrat, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The slain commander, who led 500 Taliban fighters, had surrendered to the government along with his 20 fighters last summer as a result of efforts by Governor Gul Agha Sherzai, a resident of the area, Sher Mohammad, said.

The governor’s spokesman, Ahmad Zai Abdulzai, confirmed the incident, saying the commander had shunned violence in the area.

Security personnel had been ordered to launch an urgent investigation into the incident, Abdulzai said.

In Herat, one Taliban militant was killed, two injured and 15 others detained during an operation by the commando unit on Monday, officials said.

The operation was conducted in Dargacha valley of Pashton Zarghon district, the ANA spokesman at the Zafar Military Crops, Col. Najibullah Najibi, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

 He said the detainees included a militant commander named Mullah Zahir.

A dozen others suspected militants were detained during the ongoing operation in Rabat Sangi, Kashk-i-Kohna and Gulran districts, police spokesman, Col. Abdur Rouf Ahmadi said. He said some weapons and ammunitions were also seized and 10 villages cleared of militants.

mm/ myn/ma

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