As many as 18 insurgents were killed and 12 others, including six Afghan Local police (ALP) personnel, wounded during clashes and an explosion in different parts of Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.
Nine fighters were killed and five others wounded in an overnight clashes with security forces in the Qarabagh district of southern Ghazni province, police chief Brig Gen Zarawar Zahid said.
He said the gun battle erupted when rebels mounted attacks on ALP check-posts in Gargaw area. The fighting lasting one hour left 10 rebels dead, but civilians escaped unhurt. Six ALP officials were injured.
But the governor’s spokesman, Shafiq Nang, said nine Taliban, including notorious commander Mohammad Umar, were killed and five others wounded in the clash. Six ALP officials were also wounded, he confirmed.
Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed killing of three ALP officials and injuring five others in Qarabagh. He confirmed the killing of two Taliban as well.
Elsewhere, nine people, including three insurgents, were killed in separate incident in western Ghor province.
Six illegal armed men were killed during a clash between two commanders, Governor Syed Anwar Rahmati said.
Separately, three guerrillas were killed and one wounded when the bomb they were planting in the Shahrak district went off prematurely, crime branch official Col Abdul Hadi Chilghori said.
