US drone strike kills 22 Taliban in Kandahar

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): At least 22 militants were killed in an overnight US drone strike in the Shah Walikot district of southern Kandahar province, an official said on Monday

Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani told Pajhwok Afghan News the Sunday’s night airstrike was carried out in cooperation with the Afghan forces.

He said the drones targeted the rebels in their hideouts in Kata Sang locality of Shah Wali Kot district amid an ongoing clearing operation to reopen the Kandahar Uruzgan highway.

The Taliban closed the road 45 days ago by emplacing landmines after attacking security posts and capturing them, but now security forces have intensified their efforts to reopen the road.

Durrani said local people and security forces had so far suffered no causalities during the operation and the drone strike.

Shah Walikot district chief Haji Abdul Ghani said the landmines on the highway had been detected and neutralized as part of the operation aimed at purging the area of insurgents.

The Taliban have not yet commented in this regard.

mj/ma

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