Afghan Official: Over 150 Taliban Militants Killed in 12-Day Fight
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Afghan official said 151 Taliban militants have been killed by government forces during 12 days of fighting in the volatile east, near the border with Pakistan.
Gen. Abdul Habib Sayedkhaili, the police chief in Kunar province, said at least another 100 insurgents have been wounded in the fighting in Dangam district.
Dangam is 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the porous border and Sayedkhaili said insurgents can easily cross back and forth to regroup and resupply. He added that among the dead are 17 foreign fighters. Usually this means Pakistanis but he refused to elaborate.
The Taliban denied it had lost so many fighters, the Associated Press reported.
Sayedkhaili says there were five dead and 12 wounded among Afghan forces and civilians.
Taliban insurgency is still running high in Afghanistan over a decade after the US-led invasion of the country.
