Taliban accused of torching 40 houses in Sar-i-Pul

SAR-I-PUL (Pajhwok): Local officials and residents on Wednesday claimed the Taliban militants torched 40 houses belonging to Afghan Local Police (ALP) members in Sancharak district of northern Sar-i-Pul province, but the rebels denied their involvement.

Naqibullah Daqiq, the Sancharak district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the insurgents set ablaze the houses in Taghai Khwaja village of the district after looting the houses.

A resident of Tabbar village of the district, who wished to go unnamed, told Pajhwok by telephone that the Taliban looted and torched a number of houses in the area.

He expressed concern about the ongoing conflict in the area and said Taliban used civilians’ houses as bastions and Afghan forces used to fire back at residential areas.

Local residents say an operation of Afghan forces launched in the area a few days ago has been slow going.

Naqibullah Dadqiq said so far 15 Taliban insurgents including their shadow district chief for Sancharak have been killed and 20 others wounded during the operation. Without giving details, he said foreign rebels were also fighting in Taliban ranks in the area.

Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, rejected the fighters had torched civilian homes but destroyed a number of ALP posts. No civilian or property suffered harm in the clash, he added.

“It is propaganda of the enemy or may be the ALP wants to take privileges from the government by giving such statements,” he said.

mds/ma