Fresh wave of violence claims 17 lives

KABUL (Pajhwok): Thirteen militants and four security personnel have been killed during separate incidents in Helmand, Laghman, Maidan Wardak and Jawzjan provinces, officials said on Monday.

Personnel from the Afghan National Army’s 215th Maiwand Military Corps clashed with armed insurgents in the Nawa district of southern Helmand province yesterday, said Col. Mohammad Rassoul Zazai, the corps spokesman.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News four militants were killed in the clash in Bolan area.

The same day, Zazai said, three militants were killed during a clash with Afghan forces in the Greshk town. In both incidents, the security personnel and civilians stayed unharmed.

In eastern Laghman, four insurgents were killed and three others detained during a security operation and a bomb explosion, officials said.

The governor’s spokesman, Sarhadi Zwak, told Pajhwok Afghan News that militants were busy making bombs in Sangar area of the Alingar district on Sunday night, when the explosives went off around 8:30pm, killing three militants.

The dead included two rebel group leaders namely Jalat and Inam, he said, accusing the pair of involvement in destructive activities in the area.

Elsewhere in the province, personnel from the Afghan Commando Unit conducted a search operation in Shagolyan area of Padpakh district on Sunday afternoon, killing one insurgent and arresting three others, according to Zwak.

An official in central Maidan Wardak province said two Taliban militants, including a notorious commander, and a public order police officer were killed during a clash in the Hassankhel area of Syedabad district last night.

Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, said the security forces had confiscated some weapons and explosives from the clash site.

The Taliban have said nothing about the mentioned incidents, but they claimed killing four Afghan and three foreign troops during attacks in Nad Ali and Greshk district of Helmand.

In northern Jawzjan province, three Afghan Local Police (ALP) members were killed last night when insurgents attacked their post in the Qush Tapa district.

Deputy Jawzjan police chief Col. Syed Zamanuddin told Pajhwok a fourth ALP member was injured and two others were missing after the attack that lasted three hours.

He said an investigation had been opened in the attack to know whereabouts of the missing ALP members and to determine if any insider was involved in the attack.

A local Abdul Qayum said the attackers were loyal to two Taliban group commanders — Maulvi Sibghatullah and Sunatullah.

Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said four ALP members including their commander had been killed in the attack that resulted into the seizure of weapons and a walkie-talkie.

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