83 Taliban militants killed in southern Afghanistan

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MAIWAND: An Afghan security official says 83 Taliban fighters were killed during an operation by intelligence forces in the southern province of Kandahar late on January 31.

The head of military operations in Maiwand district, Sultan Mohammad, told RFE/RL on February 1 that dozens of the militants’ vehicles and motorcycles were also destroyed in the operation, which he said was supported by air strikes.

“The group of insurgents was gathered to launch coordinated attacks on Afghan forces check posts in Panjwai and Maiwand districts of Kandahar Province,” Mohammad said.

The offensive was conducted from air and ground were 83 Taliban including some of their key commanders were killed and 32 suspects were arrested, the statement added.

According to the NDS statement, a bomb-making centre with 30 bombs, 20 kilograms each, and 10 houses were destroyed in the operation, Tolo news.

The NDS statement said that at least 50 motorbikes, 10 vehicles, and different weapons were either destroyed or seized during the operation.

He didn’t say whether there were any casualties among Afghan forces.

Meanwhile, an Afghan official said two US drone strikes on January 30 hit a building where dozens of Taliban were meeting in the southeastern province of Ghazni, killing 26 extremists and injuring 22 others.

A provincial spokesman Arif Noori said a senior commander known as Aqhani, who led the Taliban in Ghazni Province, was killed in the attack.

The Taliban did not immediately comment on the operations, which come as the Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to fend off the militants since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.

In recent weeks, Kabul has been hit by several deadly assaults, including a massive suicide car bombing in a crowded central area on January 27 that killed more than 100 people and was claimed by the Taliban.

US President Donald Trump in August unveiled his new strategy for the South Asia region, under which Washington has deployed 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan to train, advise, and assist local security forces, and to carry out counterterrorism missions.

The United States currently has around 14,000 uniformed personnel in the country.

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