Taliban capture several Lashkargah police districts

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Taliban insurgents captured several police districts of Lashkargah, the capital of southern Helmand province, and clashes are underway in other areas, government sources said on Monday.

But security officials said the Taliban attacks were repulsed and the rebels were inflicted heavy casualties.

A security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the militants overran 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th police districts of Lashkargah City over the past few days.

He said the insurgents captured all parts of the 2^nd police district except the police headquarters on Saturday night.

According to the source, the Kart-i-Lagan, Safian, Zara Qala, Delhi Chawk and some other areas of the 1^st police district also fell into the hands of Taliban.

He said civilians also suffered many casualties but exact figure was yet known.

On the other hand, the Emergency-run Hospital in Lashkargah, confirmed receiving nine bodies and 28 injured people.

The hospital officials said all beds of the hospital had been occupied by the injured and more beds were being prepared.

Residents stressed that the province would fall to the Taliban if emergency attention was not paid.

However, security officials claimed they had repulsed the militant attacks

Fawad Aman, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, said a Taliban attack on the central prison was pushed back on Sunday night.

He claimed 38 militants were killed and two others wounded in the overnight clash.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior in a statement said that air raids were carried out in different areas of Lashkargah City. The statement claimed 36 insurgents were killed and 19 others injured.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said they had captured many areas of Lashkargah city.

sa/ma