TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Officials in northern Takhar province on Thursday said the Taliban had been forced into retreating from Khwaja Ghar district, but the insurgents rejected the claim as baseless.
Sunnatullah Taimur, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News security forces had launched huge counter-insurgency operations in Takhar and Kunduz provinces.
ZardKamar, Mengchakor, Gelemkhor, Quroq and Qazaq Qeshlaq areas of Khwaja Ghar districthad been cleared of the Taliban. Earlier, the areas were considered Taliban strongholds.
A statement from the 808thSpinzar Zone confirmed the large-scale offensives in Takhar and Kunduz provinces.
But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said most of the areas in Khwaja Ghar were still under their control. The security forces did try to flush the Taliban out of the areas but failed to do so, he added.
Last year, the Taliban overran Khwaja Ghar district that remained under the group’s control for three days before security forces wrested it back.
nh/mud
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