Taliban kill 3 ANA soldiers, seize Humvee in Baghlan capital

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Three Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers have been killed and a fourth wounded, and a Humvee vehicle seized by Taliban militants in the capital of northern Baghlan province, officials said Saturday.

Maj. Mohammad Hanif Rezayee, spokesman to the 209 Shanin Military Corps, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack on an ANA patrol in Dand-I-Ghori area of Pul-I-Khumri, capital of Baghlan on Friday afternoon.

He said three ANA soldiers were killed and another wounded in the attack.

“Taliban insurgents who wore Burqas attacked Afghan forces immediately after arriving close to a Humvee vehicle of ANA soldiers using a rickshaw, they killed the soldiers and seized away their vehicle,” he said.

Afghan forces started an operation for retaking the Humvee from the Taliban and the militants suffered casualties as result, he said without providing exact figures.

An eyewitness, who wished to go unnamed, said, “A group of armed men stopped on Pul-I-Khumri—Mazar highway gunned down some ANA soldiers and then took away their Humvee,”

Baghlan police spokesman, Zabihullah Shuja, confirmed the incident and said Afghan forces launched an operation for recapturing the Humvee from Taliban.

He said one Taliban insurgent was killed in the operation.

Local Taliban militants also confirmed the incident and claimed four ANA soldiers were killed.

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