News / Afghanistan

Taliban overrun district in western Afghanistan, kill dozens

Friday, 05 April 2019 6:28 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 05 April 2019 7:38 AM ]

Smoke is rising into the air after Taliban militants launched an attack on the Afghan provincial capital of Ghazni on August 10, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Hundreds of Taliban militants stormed a district in Afghanistan's western Badghis province, with both Afghan government forces and the militant group suffering dozens of casualties, provincial officials said.

The district of Bala Murghab has been a recurring hotspot of fighting in the past two months, and officials have previously warned that it could fall to the Taliban without reinforcements.

Fighting in Afghanistan has escalated ahead of the usual spring season, as both sides seek to increase leverage in talks on a peace settlement.

The Taliban killed 36 members of the government forces and captured several security checkpoints in attacks that began on Wednesday night, Waris Sherzad, district governor of Bala Murghab, said late on Thursday. Fighting was ongoing, he said.

More than 30 Taliban were also killed, said Jamshed Shahabi spokesman for Badghis' provincial governor.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said it attacked from four directions, capturing five checkpoints.

Afghanistan's defense ministry, in a series of tweets, said its forces chose to "tactically retreat" from the checkpoints to prevent civilian casualties. The ministry said it called in multiple air strikes on Taliban positions.

In this file photo taken on March 3, 2019 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers take part in a drill exercise at a military base in the Guzara district of Herat province. (Photo by AFP)

On Friday, the defense ministry said Afghan forces had forced the Taliban to retreat from some checkpoints and that all key areas remained under its control.

The conflict in Badghis has been particularly intense along with northern Kunduz province and Helmand province in the south in recent weeks. Both sides took heavy casualties in Badghis last month, and at one point 50 members of Afghan security forces surrendered to the Taliban.

Fighting between militant groups has also intensified. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Thursday that Daesh attacks on Taliban positions on March 23 resulted in 21,000 people being displaced in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

The latest round of peace talks between US and Taliban officials wrapped up last month, with both sides citing progress.

Meanwhile, severe flooding hit Badghis province on Thursday, killing an unknown number of people and sweeping away houses, farmland and schools, aid organization World Vision said.

(Source: Reuters)

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk