28 rebels dead in Faryab, Kunduz clashes

MAIMANA/KUNDUZ CITY (Pajhwok): Officials said on Saturday at least 28 militants had been killed in separate clashes with security forces in Faryab and Kunduz provinces.

In Faryab, hundreds of militants from neighbouring provinces stormed Almar district but they faced with stiff resistance from security forces, the deputy governor told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Abdul Sattar Barez said 17 militants, including 10 commanders, were killed in the ensuing clashes. The slain rebels included Pakistani and Uzbekistan fighters, he said, but did not go into details.

Barez had no information about civilian casualties because the Taliban had apparently cut off the telephone service to the town, making it impossible to establish contact with local residents about their situation.

Faryab police chief, Lt. Gen. Mohammad Naim Andrabi, said seven militants were killed during a clash in Qarayee area of the Almar district on Saturday morning.

He said four villages, earlier captured by insurgents, had been cleared during an operation by Afghan forces. Only one Afghan Local Police (ALP) member was wounded.

Elsewhere, nearly a dozen militants were killed and 14 others were wounded during a clash in Goor Tapa district of northern Kunduz province.

Police spokesman Syed Sarwar Hussaini said the clash broke out when insurgents stormed police posts. There were no casualties among civilians and security forces.

A local resident, Najibullah, said confirmed locals stayed unhurt, but feared if the situation continued, residents could also suffer casualties or forced into leaving homes for safety.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed 11 security personnel had been killed and eight others wounded during in the latest attacks. He confirmed the death of only one militant and injuries to three others.

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