Airstrikes push back Taliban raids on Kunar’s Ghaziabad district

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Taliban were inflicted heavy casualties and their coordinated attacks were pushed back in the Ghaziabad district of eastern Kunar province, the governor said on Thursday.

Kunar governor Mohammad Iqbal Saeed and members of the provincial council told a press conference here that the Ghaziabad district had not fallen into the hands of insurgents.

Saeed said the Afghan security and defense forces were fighting with high morale and they had air support and additional forces were on the way to the district.

The governor said the Afghan air force neutralized Taliban attacks on the district and caused them heavy casualties on Thursday.

He said two roads leaving to Ghaziabad district had been closed by the Taliban over the past 25 days and break their siege, security forces had also launched operations in Asmar and Narai districts.

Walaat Khan Mashwani, head of the Kunar provincial council, and Jamaluddin Sayar, secretary, said the people were cooperating with the Afghan National and Defense Forces.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the fighting in Ghaziabad district.

The fighting in Ghaziabad district has also closed roads in Narai and Kamdesh and Bergamtal districts of Nuristan province, leading to shortage of food and non-food items.

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