Security personnel privileges to be increased: Shinwari

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan Defence and Security Forces Spokesperson Ajmal Shinwari on Sunday claimed that Taliban militants were inflicted heavy casualties and that President Ghani was to consider increase in the privileges of security personnel.

Addressing a press conference here, he said President Ghani had hailed the sacrifices and bravery of security forces and would consider increase in their privileges, specially of those fighting in the line of fire.

He did not provide details about the increment but added it will be issued in near future.

Shinwari said security forces last week carried out 221 security operations in the country in which 1,323 Taliban were killed and 770 others injured.

He added security forces also arrested 132 Taliban in the past one week.  He claimed the Taliban during clashes with security forces killed 66 civilians and injured 198 others and destroyed 10 houses.

But Taliban spokesperson ZabihullahMujahid rejected the claim that the fighters killed or injured civilians and accused government forces of killing civilians in Kapisa, Faryab and Nangarhar provinces.

On Saturday security forces bombard a hospital in Helmand province.

Shinwari said additional security forces had reached Herat, Kandahar, Helmand and other provinces and the situation was under control there and a positive change will prevail soon.

Shinwari said if Herat religious scholar Maulvi Ansari spoke against the national interest and national security he would be treated as per the law.  Ansari last Friday asked Jihadi Leader Ismael Khan to renounce fighting against the Taliban.

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