Taliban Militants Kill 12 Afghan Soldiers in Kunduz
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - At least 12 Afghan soldiers have been killed in an attack by Taliban militants in the northern province of Kunduz.
According to Yousuf Ayoubi, the head of the provincial council, the militants targeted the security forces in the provincial capital, which goes by the same name as the province itself, on Sunday after capturing the district of Char Dara.
The Afghan official said at least 16 other members of security forces sustained injuries in the clashes. As many as 70 other soldiers are now surrounded by the militants.
Ayoubi added that the number of casualties may rise. He said he has called for reinforcements to drive the militants out of the district.
Char Dara was overrun by militants late on Saturday evening with the governor of the district, Zulmai Farooqi, saying, “The gun battle between militants and security forces continued for hours during the day.”
In a separate development on Saturday, at least 14 people were killed and five others wounded when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the southern province of Helmand, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
The Taliban launched their spring offensive in Afghanistan in late April. The militants have intensified their attacks against the government as well as civilian targets.
In 2001, the US and its allies invaded Afghanistan as part of the Washington’s so-called war on terror. On December 31, 2014, the US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what the US is calling a support mission, Press TV reported.
The forces, according to NATO, would focus mainly on counter-terrorism and training Afghan soldiers and policemen.