Afghan districts near Pakistan border cleared of militants

JALALABAD (PAN insurgents as a result of a counter insurgency operation, officials said on Tuesday.

Backed by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) air support, Afghan National Army (ANA) troops launched the offensive at 8pm on Monday, a spokesman for the second brigade of 201st Selab Military Corps, Maj. Shirin Agha, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Lasting several hours, the operation resulted in clearing Watapoor, Chapa Dara and Manogi districts of militants, he said, adding the insurgents fled without any resistance.

Police chief, Brig. Gen. Khalilullah Ziaee, said the operation was successfully underway in militant-infested areas. He said militants opted to flee instead of putting up any resistance.

Border police, assisted by ANA soldiers, have increased their patrols in districts near the border with Pakistan to prevent infiltration from across the border into Afghan territories, border police commander in the east, Gen. Aminullah Amarkhel, said.

Meanwhile, a Taliban commander for Kunar province, Qari Zia-ur-Rahman, was killed in an air strike by ISAF troops in Manogi district on Monday night, a high ranked military official said on condition of anonymity.

The 201st Selab Military Corps spokesman, Agha, said he was informed on Tuesday morning that two militants had been killed in an air strike in Manogi, but he had no information about the identity of the dead militants.

myn/ma

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