Taliban closing in on Khwaja Bahauddin district: Takhar officials

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Local officials on Saturday said the Taliban were steadily closing in on the Khwaja Bahauddin district of northern Takhar province, where two border policemenwere killed.

Abdul Salam Ahmadi, the border police commander, told Pajhwok Afghan News the militants conducted coordinated attacks on the district centre on Friday night. Two border policemen were killed and six others wounded.

“Militants attacked Khwaja Bahauddin from Darqad district at 8pm. The security forces retreated after a three-hour battle that also destroyed one of our tanks,” Ahmadi acknowledged.

Provincial police spokesman Abdul Khalil Aseer also confirmed the insurgents had captured Alqnaq and Charsee areas of the district.He said the militants advanced six kilometers toward Afghan forces stationed in the town.

Sunatullah Timori, the governor’s spokesman, said clashes were still underway in the district, where the rebels had also suffered casualties. However, he did nothave exact figures.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed they had captured a strategic post and some ammunitionfrom the security forces as a result of the overnight battle.He said several security personnel had been killed and wounded.

mds/mud

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