According to local authorities in northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, at least two people including a local police commander was killed after Taliban militants took over a security check post following a deal with another local police officer in this province. The officials further added a Taliban commander recognized as Mawlavi Hekmatullah attacked the security check post. He was arrested by Afghan security forces and was released from the prison four months back.
In the meantime Darzab district governor Rahmatullah Hashar said Taliban militants conquered the security check post without any fighting.
Mr. Hashar further added, Taliban militants also abducted six local police officers with them and only two police officers survived from the attack.
He said Taliban militants also 10 rifles and 1 RPG with them.
According to Rahmatullah Hashar, the Taliban commander Mawlavi Hekmatullah was released from the prison after a number of tribal elders brokered talks with the government around 4 months back.
A spokesman for the Taliban militants group Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility behind the incident and said at least 4 Afghan local police officers were killed and six others who were wounded were abducted by Taliban fighters.
from KHAAMA By Mirwais Adeel - 14 Apr 2013, 1:53 pm
KABUL (PAN): The Taliban said they released a Turkish engineer held hostage two years ago and handed him over to Turkish officials in the Tagab district of central Kapisa province on Sunday afternoon.
A spokesman for the group, Zabihullah Mujahid said engineer Surtaj was freed as a goodwill gesture from the movement towards the people of Turkey. He said the fighters had seized the engineer about two years ago on suspicion of being a spy with some documents
Mujahid said the release came after requests from Turkish officials were accepted by a Taliban commander who ordered the detainee freed.
The Taliban spokesman said the hostage's human rights were respected during his captivity.
Provincial officials and Turkish Embassy in Kabul remain tightlipped over the release.
from Pajhwok By Javed Hamim Kakar Mar 31, 2013 - 17:51
NATO and Afghan troops arrive at the site of a suicide attack in Jalalabad, March 26, 2013.
(PARWIZ/REUTERS)
JALALABAD (PAN): More than a dozen people were killed on Tuesday when a group of suicide bombers stormed the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) headquarters in eastern Nangarhar province, officials said.
Eight suicide bombers and five police personnel were killed in the audacious predawn assault in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, a police spokesman said.
Col. Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal told Pajhwok Afghan News that several civilians were wounded in the bomb attack, followed by intense gunfire. Some of the bombers blew themselves up, while eight others were killed by police.
But the provincial police chief Lt. Gen. Mohammad Sharif Amin put the number of assailants at eight, saying that one of them detonated his explosives-laden Surf vehicle in front of the QRF headquarters.
Moments after the ensuing clash, another bomber detonated his car, the police chief told reporter. Five suicide attackers were shot dead in the gunbattle, he said, praising the policemen for showing exemplary courage.
Five policemen were killed and four others injured as a result of the incident, according to Gen. Amin, who said the QRF had been able to thwart a major terror plot.
A doctor, meanwhile, said on condition of anonymity that 13 injured, including six policemen, had been evacuated to the Jalalabad Civil Hospital. The wounded are in stable condition.
As usual, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that dozens of Afghan and foreign security personnel had been killed. He acknowledged the loss of only five fighters.
A guard at the provincial police headquarters, situated close to the scene, said he saw one vehicle exploding. “Two people standing in front of a four-storey building in the area asked me to open the door.
“When I took a close at them, they had weapons beneath their sheets. I gunned down both,” the policeman said, claiming that they wanted to attack the QRF compound from the market.
Area resident Hekmatullah said he heard a big explosion at 4.30am. A little while later, there was a burst of gunfire, he said. The resident had no idea about the casualties.
from Pajhwok By Mahbob Shah Mahbob Mar 26, 2013 - 07:06
MAIMANA (PAN): Five insurgents were killed and a sixth captured alive during an operation in northern Faryab province, where three rebels joined the peace process in Pashtunkot district, officials said on Tuesday.
The operation was conducted in the Chakab area of the district, police spokesman Syed Masoud Yaqubi told Pajhwok Afghan News. One Kalashnikov was recovered from the detainee.
He said the guerrillas tried to attack Chakab area but security forces thwarted their attempt with the help of locals.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed inflicting causalities on security forces. However, he did not provide further details.
Separately, three members of the Qari Fazal Group joined the peace process as a result of efforts by tribal elders and handed over two Kalashnikovs and as many landmines to security forces in the same district.
from Pajhwok By Pajhwok Report Mar 5, 2013 - 14:58
KABUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants targeted the headquarters of Kabul Traffic Police on Monday morning, killing at least one police and injuring 16 others and thus causing panic among the war-weary residents.
The offensive which triggered counter-attack by security forces, according to a police officer, have so far left one police dead and 16 others injured.
"It was 05:50 a.m. local time when a blast rocked Dehmazang area where Traffic Police headquarters located and the blast followed by gun shots. One police was killed and 16 others sustained injuries," the police officer told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media after investigation.
Meantime, General Mohammad Zahir of the Criminal Investigation Department of Kabul police in talks with media at the site confirmed killing two attackers, saying both were probably killed in their blast near the entrance gate of Traffic police headquarters.
However, the security forces have yet to control the situation as some of the attackers are still inside the compound and resisting over the past six hours.
Nevertheless, Zahir asserted that full details will be released whenever the conflict is over.
Taliban outfit, however, claimed responsibility for the blatant attack. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban militants in talks with media via telephone from unknown location asserted that a group of Taliban fighters equipped with suicide vests and assault rifles occupied the four-story Traffic department and from there began attacking government interests including a police base at nearby inflicting casualties to both Afghan and foreign soldiers.
This is the second bold attack carried out by Taliban in the fortified Afghan capital Kabul in less than a week.
In the previous attack, a group of Taliban suicide bombers targeted a compound of Afghan National Directorate for Security ( NDS) or national spy agency on last Wednesday, leaving six people dead presumably all attackers and injuring 30 others, all civilians, according to officials.
At least 14 people, including nine Taliban men, were killed Sunday when militants wearing suicide vests stormed a major NATO base in Afghanistan, media reports said.
Two civilians died in the attack in Jalalabad, capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar, around 120 km east of Kabul, Xinhua reported citing Tolo News.
There were conflicting reports about the number of casualties.
CNN said three Afghan soldiers were killed when the militants attacked three different points at Forward Operating Base Fenty, near the Jalalabad airfield, according to the NATO-led International Assistance Security Force (ISAF).
Three suicide bombers and six gunmen were killed in the blasts and the firefight that ensued, provincial police spokesman Havrat Hussain Mashriqwal told CNN.
The attack began around 6 a.m. when two suicide bombers rammed their explosives-laden vehicles into separate entrances of the NATO base, sparking a gunfight between the militants and security forces.
At least 14 Afghan soldiers and four civilians were wounded, police told CNN.
NATO helicopters were seen hovering over the area and firing on the attackers, a witness told Xinhua.
The blasts created a plume of grey smoke above the scene.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mujahid said there were two suicide car bombs and a suicide bomber with an explosive belt used in the attack, which he claimed killed at least 20 people.
Afghan officials told BBC eight suicide attackers were involved in the assault, and all were killed.
A NATO spokesman said the assault was a failure because the Taliban did not penetrate the base.
The force of the explosions is reported to have blown out windows a kilometre away, BBC said.
Local residents said helicopters had fired on the insurgents, and the fighting lasted about 20 minutes.
Sunday's attack was the latest in a series to target the base.
In February, nine people were killed and 12 wounded in a suicide bombing at the front gate of the base. Two moths later, four suicide bombers wearing burqas tried to launch an attack there, officials said.
NATO, which currently has around 130,000 troops in Afghanistan, is gradually handing security over to Afghan forces ahead of the departure of most combat troops in 2014.
Districts of Nangarhar Province.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
JALALABAD (PAN): Four civilians were wounded during a clash between the Afghan army and insurgents in the Khogyani district of eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Monday.
Haji Syed Rehman, the district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the militants attacked a convoy of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in Mamla area late Sunday night. The soldiers escaped unhurt, but four civilian were wounded.
Khogyani Civil Hospital Director Dr Noor Agha confirmed receiving four injured civilians, including two children. He said two of the injured were in critical condition.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said two soldiers were killed and as many wounded in the attack.
But a spokesman for the 201st Selab Corps in the eastern zone, Col. Noman Hatifi, rejected the Taliban claim, saying that the soldiers remained unharmed.
from Pajhwok By Mahbob Shah Mahbob Nov 19, 2012 - 14:06
GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Twenty Taliban fighters and two local commanders of a public uprising group were killed during a gun-battle in the southern province of Ghazni, members of the anti-rebel movement said on Sunday.
The clash erupted around 3am following a group of heavily armed insurgents attacked checkpoints established by the tribesmen in the Andar district, killing two commanders --- Mastana and Qahraman --- of the uprising group, and injuring three others tribesmen, a commander of the group, Haibat Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Twenty Taliban, including eight Punjabis and four Waziristanis, were killed as the uprising members retaliated, he said, adding the clash ended at 6:30am. “The Taliban killed two tribal elders and seized some others,” he added.
Khan said they had informed security officials in advance that Pakistani soldiers and Taliban from Waziristan were planning attacks on their posts, but no attention was paid to their claim that came true.
A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said two commanders of the uprising group and eight militiamen were killed and four others were injured when the fighters attacked five checkpoints of the tribal militia. The rebels captured three checkpoints, he added.
from Pajhwok by Saifullah Mafto on onSep 23, 2012 - 15:23
Kamdesh District in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PARUN, Afghanistan, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- One police and nine Taliban militants were killed as clash erupted in Kamdish district of Nuristan province 180 km east of capital Kabul on Wednesday, police said. "A group of armed Taliban fighters raided Kamdish district headquarters at 04:30 a.m. local time today and police with the support of the national army and air power returned fire, killing nine insurgents on the spot," Ghulam Allah, police inspector general of Nuristan province told Xinhua.
In the gun battle one police was killed and three others sustained injuries, he added.
Meantime, a Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from an unknown location confirmed the clash, claiming several police were killed and injured in the conflict.
Since warring sides in Afghan conflicts exaggerate the casualties of rival side, it is difficult to get verification from independent sources.
KABUL (PAN): Thirteen people were killed, seven injured and three others detained during separate gun attacks and operations in different provinces of the country, officials said on Wednesday.
In central Maidan Wardak province, Afghan and foreign troops conducted a security operation -- codenamed Thunder -- in Syedabad, Chak, Nirkh and Jalrez districts. The offensive would be extended soon to Jaghatu and Daimirdad districts, said the governor's spokesman.
Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News four armed insurgents, including two Pakistani citizens, were killed and six others injured in the Ambokhak area of Chak district. Three other fighters were detained in Syedabad and some explosives seized near Maidan Shahr, the provincial capital.
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said two security personnel were killed and a third injured in the Shamkhel area of Nirkh. Three other soldiers were killed in the Ghazi Mohammad Jan Khan locality of Jaghatu, he said -- a claim rejected by Shahid.
In eastern Kunar, a tribal elder was shot dead along with a grandson by unidentified gunmen in the Sarkano district on Wednesday morning, said Shah Mahmood, the town's administrative head.
Syed Ahmad Khan, also a local council member, came under rebel attack on his way to the district centre.
In northern Faryab, dozens of rebels -- led by Mullah Yar Mohammad, the Taliban-designated governor -- stormed the Tilan neighbourhood of Pakhtunkot district on Tuesday afternoon, said the deputy police chief.
Col. Abdul Rashid Bashir said four fighters were killed and several others injured during a subsequent clash with police. However, he did not provide information about the casualties among security forces and civilians.
The town’s administrative head, Abdul Qadir Qadiri, confirmed the rebels attack, saying three policemen were killed and a fourth injured during the Taliban assault.
from Pajhwok by Pajhwok Report on Sep 12, 2012 - 14:45
KABUL (PAN): The country’s chief director of prisons, Gen. Amir Mohammad Jamshidi, on Wednesday said a jailbreak attempt by some prisoners had been thwarted at the Pul-i-Charkhi jail, east of Kabul, rejecting Taliban’s claim that 15 men had fled.
The Taliban on Tuesday said 15 prisoners, most of them insurgents, escaped Monday night from the fortified jail. The fleeing men had joined the Taliban and were reunited with their families, Zabihullah Mujahid, the rebel spokesman, said in a statement.
He identified the Taliban inmates as Samiullah, Dilawar, Wali Jan, Zia Ahmad Kandahari, Zia Ahmad Ghaznawi, Zabihullah, Saboor, Omar, Massoud, Sadiq and Massoud Sani.
However, Jamshidi said some Taliban inmates attempted to escape, but their bid was foiled by security officials.
“In order the prisoners celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and share greetings, we opened the jail’s doors to them,” he said. But some inmates, including Taliban and Al Qaeda men, tried to take advantage of the opportunity and reached the jail’s ground, but they were forcibly brought back to their cells by prison officials,” he added.
from Pajhwok by Hassan Khitab on Aug 22, 2012 - 16:11
Taliban militants group claimed that a number of a senior Taliban officials imprisoned in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi jail, escaped from the prison.
A spokesman for the Taliban militants group Zabiullah Mujahid following a statement claimed at least 15 senior Taliban leaders managed to break the jail and have escaped to a safe place.
Mr. Mujahid further added the Taliban group members were kept in the 6th Block of the Pul-e-Charkhi prison and they escaped from the jail after breaking the doors.
He said majority of the Taliban detainees who escaped from the jail were sentenced to death and life sentence to jail.
Afghan government officials yet to comment regarding the statement of the Taliban group.
This comes as a number of individuals in the past escaped from Pul-e-Charkhi jail.
In the meantime an Afghan security official speaking on the condition of anonymity said Taliban detainees struggled to flee the central jail in Pul-e-Charkhi located in eastern Kabul however he denied reports regarding the 15 Taliban militants have succeeded to break the jail.
from KHAAMA By Sadaf Shinwari - Wed Aug 22, 11:48 am
According to local authorities in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan, at least 7 Afghan national army soldiers were killed following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.
Gen. Janullah Safi commander 3 regiment in 209 Shaheen Afghan national army commandment confirming the report said the incident took place early Thursday around 2 am local time after a vehicle of the Afghan army soldiers struck with a mine, killing 7 Afghan army service members.
In the meantime an Afghan national army official speaking on the condition of anonymity said at least two Afghan army service members were also injured following the blast.
A spokesman for the Taliban militants group Zabiullah Mujahid cliamed responsibility behind the incident.
Baghlan province located in northern Afghanistan is considered to be a relatively region however Taliban militants have recently increased their insurgency activities in a number of its districts.
GARDEZ (PAN): Up to 100 Taliban militants have been killed during a two-week security operation in southern Ghazni and southeastern Paktika provinces, an official said on Wednesday.
The joint offensive codenamed “Dragon”, launched on July 2, concluded on Wednesday, the 203rd Thunder Military Corps commander in Paktia, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, told a news conference in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province.
Yaftali said a hundred militants were killed and dozens wounded during the offensive that resulted in the seizure of heavy and light weapons.
Also featuring NATO-led troops, the offensive targeted Ander, Qarabagh and Giru districts of Ghazni. It also covered Khoshamand, Kherkot and Yousaf Khel districts of Paktika.
But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he was unaware of the operation and the military claim about insurgent casualties.
from Pajhwok by Noor Ahmad Hairan on Jul 18, 2012 - 21:03
Kamdesh District in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces have killed 25 Taliban militants over the past two days in Nuristan province, 180 km east of capital city Kabul, spokesman for provincial administration Mohammad Zarin said Friday.
"In the operation backed by NATO-led forces and launched against Taliban in Kamdish district on Thursday, so far 25 insurgents have been killed," Zarin told Xinhua.
Meantime, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from unknown location confirmed the fighting but insisted 30 Afghan and foreign forces had been killed, a claim rejected by Zarin as baseless.
Mujahid also stated that eight Taliban fighters had been killed in the battle.
The mountainous Kamdish district has been under mounting pressure by Taliban over the past couple of weeks; while Afghan government is trying to ensure lasting peace there.
According to local authorities in northern Baghlan province, Afghan security forces detained two prominent Taliban leaders Mullah Hafizullah and Mullah Abdul Hakim following military operation and cooperation with the local residents, at Ganda-Chashma area in Burka district.
Gen. Syed Zamanuddin Hussaini provincial security chief said the two Taliban leaders were playing vital role in carrying out insurgency activities and were arrested following a military operation on Saturday.
Gen. Hussaini further added, the two detained Taliban leaders were appointed by Taliban militants group to replace Mullah Asadullah son of Mawlawi Haqqani who was previously killed following a night time military operation.
Burka district chief Syed Mahmood Sadat confirming the report said, the two leaders were detained by Afghan police forces while they were looking to ambush and kill 3 Afghan national army officers at Flol area.
He also said, Afghan security forces seized 2 AK-47 rifles along with some ammunitions, explosives and equipments being used to make roadside improvised explosive devices.
Syed Mahmood district chief for Burka urged the local residents of northern Baghaln province to step up actions for implementing further security in their regions.
In the meantime reports suggest the two detained Taliban leaders were involved behind the assassination of Abdul Rahman Syed Kheli provincial police chief for northern Kunduz province however Lal Mohammad Ahmazai a media representative for 303 Pamir Zone Security Commandment said Afghan security forces have launched their investigations in this regard.
Mr. Ahmadzai said the detention of the two Taliban leaders will have a vital impact over security situations in northern provinces of Afghanistan since the two Taliban leaders were plotting and carrying out insurgency activities in Baghlan, Takhar and Kunduz provinces of Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the Taliban group Zabiullah Mujahid said the two detained individuals do not have any connections with the Taliban group.
This comes as a police Ranger vehicle struck with a roadside bomb between Burka-Nahrin districts on Saturday evening but there were no reports of casualties.
Author: Ajmal Omeri, Baghlan province. from KHAAMA
KABUL (PAN): Three militants were killed in an airstrike by NATO-led troops in the Batikot district of eastern Nangarhar province, bordering Pakistan’s lawless tribal region of Khyber, officials said on Friday.
The insurgents were killed in a joint Afghan-International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation late on Thursday night, a spokesman for the 201st Selab Military Corps told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Bodies of the fighters had been handed over to the district police headquarters, Col. Nauman Hatif said, adding six Kalashnikovs, one machine gun, a rocket and one pistol were recovered from the scene.
Haji Zalmay, the district chief, confirmed the joint operation in the Char Deh area of the district. “One of those killed hails from central Logar province while the two others are from Nangarhar province.”
Meanwhile, Taliban confirmed the loss of four fighters in a clash with foreign troops. Rebel spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the guerrillas attacked an ISAF patrol, killing three foreign soldiers and injuring four others. Two tanks were also destroyed, he concluded.
According to local authorities in eastern Nangarhar province, at least 6 Taliban militants were killed following armed clahes with the international coalition security forces in this province.
The officials further added, the Taliban militants were killed in Khogyani district of eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday night.
Provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said, the incident took place after a number of armed Taliban militants attacked a coalition forces military base in this district.
Mr. Abdulzai further added, Afghan and coalition security forces did not suffer any casualties during the clashes.
In the meantime a spokesman for the Taliban militants group Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the death of its fighters in the clashes and claimed at least 10 US and Afghan soldiers were also killed during the clashes.
According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province, at least 6 Taliban militants were killed following armed clashes with the Afghan security forces in this province.
A spokesman for the 505 Spinghar Zone Security Brigade Gen. Hamidullah said, at least 6 Taliban militants were killed and 4 Afghan National Police service members were injured during the cashes.
Gen. Hamidullah further added, the clashes took place between the Taliban militants and Paktika police forces at Ghozi village in Ab-Band district of eastern Ghazni province.
He also added, 4 Afghan police service members were critically injured during the clashes.
In the meantime a spokesman for the Taliban militants group Zabiullah Mujahid said, at least 5 Afghan police were killed and 6 others were injured during the clashes.
He also confirmed the death of 3 Taliban fighters during the clashes.
Ab-Band district is considered to be one of the volatile regions in eastern Ghazni province.
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