FIROZKOH (Pajhwok): At least 20 militants and five Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel have been killed and 20 others captured by rebels after a fierce gunbattle western Ghor province, an official said on Wednesday.
The firefight erupted when militants mounted an attack on Sangan and Sinah localities of Pasaband district, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Fahim Qaim, the provincial police chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Five ALP officials had been killed and 20 others taken hostage by the insurgents as a result of the overnight clash, he confirmed. Qaim acknowledged the government had lost control of Sangan locality because of inadequate security personnel in the area.
Governor Syed Anwar Rahmati said a large number of families had left the area and migrated to the district headquarters to escape fighting. The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
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