Pakistanis among 47 militants killed in Baghlan

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): At least 47 militants, including Pakistanis, have been killed in recent operations in northern Baghlan province, officials claimed on Sunday.

Another 23 militants were wounded during five days of the operation in Dand-i-Ghori district, Baghlan police spokesman Javed Basharat told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Governor Abdul Sattar Bariz said two Taliban Lal was among these injured.

The Taliban on their website claimed destroying two military vehicles, killing seven soldiers and injuring nine others as a result of artillery shelling in Gudan and Niazullah areas of the district.

The Taliban claimed the fighters destroyed another two military vehicles in Pul-i-Darqad area of the district, killing 14 soldiers onboard.

Meanwhile, the police spokesman said vice chief of army staff Gen. Murad Ali Murad on Saturday arrived in Pul-i-Khumri, the provincial capital, with commandos to completely clear the district from the presence of Taliban after improvement in weather conditions.

Separately, security forces said dense fog had reduced visibility to five metres in Dan-i-Sahabuddin district, where conduct operations to pave the way for reconnectinf the power line carrying electricity from Uzbekistan to Kabul are underway, according Basharat.

The Taliban have planted landmines on roads and agricultural fields and have warned local residents against coming out of their houses, a resident of the district, Syedajan said.

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