BADGHIS: Three Taliban fighters were killed and four others injured during a combined security operation by Afghan and international soldiers in northwestern Badghis province, an official said on Saturday.
The operation was conducted on Friday night in the Panarak area of Balamurghab district, Col. Mohammad Jabbar Saleh, the provincial police chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He said three motorbikes were seized by the security personnel, who suffered no casualties during the operation. Two fighters have been missing, he added.
mrh/mud
GHAZNI: Security officials have detained four antique and drug smugglers in southern Ghazni province, an official said on Saturday.
Arifacts and drugs were siezed in the 2nd police district of the provincial capital, the Ghazni police chief said.
Brig. Gen. Zarawar Zahid told Pajhwok Afghan News the antiques were recovered from a newly-constructed building. The market owner wanted to sell the items outside the province.
The items included nine ancient pots, which were damaged during extraction, the police chief said. Hundreds of kilograms of opuim and hashish were also recovered from the detainees.
–Mirwais Himmat
mrh/mas/mud
GHAZNI: Two policemen were killed and three others wounded in an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) airstrike in southern Ghazni province, officials said on Saturday.
The raid on a police checkpoint took place in the 2nd police district of Ghazni City on Friday night, the provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Zarawar Zahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The attacked resulted from a misunderstanding between the police and NATO-led troops, he said, adding an investigation into the incident had been launched.
But a statement from ISAF said a combined Afghan and coalition security force was fired upon by individuals at an Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) checkpoint while on an operation in Ghazni.
“Individuals at an ANSF checkpoint engaged the security force with rocket-propelled grenades, mortar and small arms fire. The security force requested air support in an attempt to de-escalate the situation,” the statement added.
“After multiple attempts to identify themselves as friendly forces, the security force was unable to stop the threat and engaged the checkpoint in self-defense, killing two individuals. Afghan National Police (ANP) responded to the compound to assess the situation and render medical care if needed following the incident. Three additional personnel were wounded in the incident. An investigation would be conducted,” it concluded.
mrh/mbg/mud
HELMAND: Taliban influenced farmers to cultivate poppies on their farms in southern Helmand province, the world‘s biggest opium producer, officials said on Saturday.
The allegation came at a meeting aimed at promoting awareness against drugs among the people. Hundreds of tribal elders, religious scholars and officials attended the meeting at the Governor’s House.
The Taliban, who took a proportion of the opium from farmers in return for protecting their crops, purchased weapons with the money, the provincial police chief alleged.
Brig. Gen. Muhammad Hakeem Angar told the gathering they had launched an awareness campaign. The farmers cultivating poppies would be detained, he warned.
Angar said they had been distributing improved seeds and fertilisers in villages over the past few years to wean growers to other crops. The counternarcotics law would be implemented during the current year, the police chief added.
Information and Culture Director Ali Shah Mazlumyar urged provincial authorities to focus the counternarcotics drive on areas being controlled by militants.
Growers paid money to the Taliban to plant the outlawed crop, said the Nad Ali district chief, Habibullah Shamlani. Without giving specific figures, he said poppy cultivation had increased dramatically in the district during the current year.
–Zainullah Stanikzai
mas/mud
Visits: 13
GET IN TOUCH
NEWSLETTER
SUGGEST A STORY
PAJHWOK MOBILE APP