Afghan forces kill scores of Taliban fighters in insurgent bastion

KANDAHAR – Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between Afghan forces and the militants, who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent bastion here, said officials today.

The militants attacked checkpoints in five districts surrounding the city, which Afghan forces countered with heavy air and ground assaults, said the Defence Ministry in a statement.

“Security forces repulsed the attack, killing 51 terrorists and wounding nine,” it said, without offering details on any casualties among troops.

The fighting lasted several hours through the night, marked by continuous gun battles and heavy bombardments, reported an AFP correspondent here.

When contacted, the Taliban did not offer an immediate comment.

The southern province of Kandahar is the birthplace of the hard-line Islamist movement, and over the past few days, militants have launched attacks in districts on the outskirts of the city, which is the provincial capital.

The Taliban launched a similar offensive in the neighbouring province of Helmand in September that sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing.

That attack, which also targeted the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, prompted the US to call in air strikes to defend Afghan forces.

Since a US-Taliban deal in February, the insurgents have not carried out major attacks on key cities, but have launched near-daily assaults against Afghan forces in rural areas.

The spike in violence in recent months comes as the Taliban and Afghan government engage in peace talks.

The negotiations started on September 12 in the Qatari capital of Doha, but yesterday, the two sides announced a pause until January 5.

The militants and government both tweeted that they have exchanged “preliminary lists of agenda items for the inter-Afghan talks and held introductory discussions on the topics” to be covered when the meetings restart.

In recent months, Kabul has seen several deadly assaults claimed by the Islamic State, including a rocket attack yesterday that killed one civilian.

Today, a bomb planted on a vehicle killed two civilians in the capital, said police. – AFP, December 13, 2020