66 insurgents dead in fresh offensive

KABUL): At least 66 insurgents were killed in a string of joint operations by Afghan and international forces in different provinces over the past 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Another 31 rebels were injured in the operations conducted in Takhar, Kabul, Badakhshan, Helmand, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Paktia and Nuristan provinces.

About 19 fighters, including three top commanders, were killed in the Kamdesh district of eastern Nuristan province, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement.

Governor Mohammad Tamim Nuristani told Pajhwok Afghan News the militant casualties came during an offensive by Afghan army commandos in the Hashtrah area of the restive district.

He said a heavy gunbattle between the Taliban Abbas, Mullah Najibullah and Mullah Abdul Rahim.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the clash was still ongoing. However, he had no information about casualties.

Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot dead a primary court’s chief on the Jalalabad-Kunar Highway in the Salamor area of eastern Kunar province, said Brig. Gen. Ewaz Mohammad Nazari, the provincial police chief.

The victim, Aminull-Haq, was the chief of a primary court in the Qarghayee district of neighbouring Laghman province. He originally belonged to Kunar.

mrh/ma/vp/mud