‘Rebels vanquished in Shirzad, Khogyani’

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): As many as 35 insurgents have been killed, 42 wounded and 339 others captured during in ongoing security operation in Shirzad and Khogyani districts of eastern Nangarhar province, officials said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Jalalabad, 201st Selab Military Corps commander Brig. Gen. Dadan Lawang said most insecure areas of Shirzad and Khogyani had been cleared of militants during six days of the ongoing Shaheen-25 Operation.

Besides vanquishing the insurgents, he said, a secret narcotics-producing factory was also destroyed and 50 different weapons seized during the offensive.

“Ten cars and the same number of motorcycles used by militants have been seized and some of them were destroyed,” he said, adding of 339 detained suspected people 32 appeared to be Taliban commanders during investigations.

Lawang continued 50 roadside bombs were also defused and a number of Afghan forces suffered casualties in blasts caused by the improvised explosive devices.

Three Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and an official of Khogyani district administration were killed and 11 others injured during the operation.

Nangarhar deputy police chief Lotfullah Zaryab said the operation in Khogyani district had been a success. He added some of the militants planning to capture the district had been killed and others managed to escape to Pakistan.

“Our brave security forces drove away militants equipped by Pakistani forces and completely cleared the areas from them,” he added.

Muallim Mashoq, the Shirzad district chief, praised security forces for bravely cleansing the town of armed rebels.

A resident of the Koz Bahar area of Khogyani district, Sunhanullah, said Afghan forces stayed for three days in their area. The forces killed a number of militants during separate clashes, he said.

He said the army personnel also sued artillery to destroy a militant hideout. He said the security situation in their area had improved after the operation.

The Taliban had laid siege to the Shirzad district for 27 days after creating numerous security challenges.

mds/ma

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