ANA commander wounded in Faryab operation

MAIMANA (PAN): A senior Afghan National Army (ANA) commander has been wounded during an operation against the insurgents in northern Faryab province, an official said.

Gen. Noor Mohammad Hamid, commander of the first brigade of the 209^th Shaheen Corps, was injured in the Khwaja Kanti village of the restive district of Qaisar late on Saturday.

Maj. Mohammad Reza, a spokesman for the corps, told Pajhwok Afghan News, the offensive that was launched six days ago to clear the village of militants was still ongoing.

Gen. Hamid’s injuries are not life-threatening, according to the spokesman, who said the commander was under medical treatment at a hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif.

A security official, meanwhile, said on condition of anonymity that the brigade commander had been injured in his shoulder. He revealed one ANA soldier had been wounded in clashes with the Taliban.

Abdul Jamil Siddiqui, the district chief, said the operation was launched after the militants stormed Khwaja Kanti, Ghaura and Nawabad areas. Five local policemen were killed and several others went missing as a result of the attacks.

Based on information from security officials, more than 60 fighters, including their leaders Mullah Abdul Samad and Mullah Qayyum, have been killed in the operation so far.

But rebel spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi acknowledged the loss of only two fighters during the offensive in Qaisar. He claimed the guerrillas had inflicted casualties on many security personnel.

Siddiqui said more than 600 families had been displaced from seven villages of the district as a result of the fighting.

mud

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