Fierce fighting on as security forces retake Khwaja Ghar

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Security forces retook the control of the Khwaja Ghar district of northern Takhar province on Monday after hours of heavy clashes with the Taliban, an official said.

The forces entered the district centre at around 10:00am, pushing back the Taliban from the police headquarters, main bazaar and other areas, said Sunatullah Taimur, the governor’s spokesman.

He added the Taliban had torched several shops in the main district bazaar and security forces were fighting them in Qarlaq locality. Two policemen and two guards of the governor have been killed and five police personnel wounded in the clashes so far.

Taimur claimed the Taliban had suffered heavy casualties but there was no exact information about the group’s losses.

Irfanullah, a resident of the area, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban and security forces were engaged in fighting in Aurozbachaarea.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, claiming the district’s capture, said a large number of security officials had been killed and wounded and dozens of vehicles snatched.

Earlier, Taimur had said the Taliban captured the police headquarters, main bazaar and other government building as a result of a coordinated group attack on Sunday night.

He added the militants in Humvees attacked the district with heavy weapons captured from security forces in the Dasht-i-Archi district of neighbouring Kunduz province.

nh/mud

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