Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: The Kunduz-Baghlan highway has been reopened to traffic on Friday after being closed for last four days as a result of clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban militants, local authorities told ToloNews.
Along the highway, the Taliban militants were installed check posts in the premise of Omarkhail and Madrassa villages belonging to Ali Abad district, Sayed Qurban Musawi, executive officer of Pamir 20th Division said.
The check posts of the militants have been razed to ground where Taliban claimed heavy losses in the fight with security forces, Musawi added.
“At least 23 militants were killed and 13 others were wounded (in the offensive). The security forces have foiled the mines planted on the highway by the insurgents. The highway is opened now,” he stated.
Moreover, security officials in Kunduz also said that all the villages close to the Baghlan-Kunduz highway have been cleared of insurgents.
“We carried out an operation against militant’s check post which was resulted into killing of eight insurgents. Others escaped. Ten of them are wounded and are going through bad condition,” Alimshah Adib, head of Afghan Public Protection Force in Kunduz said.
“A military outpost should be established here in order to prevent a comeback by the Taliban,” said Jan Agha, the police chief for Ali Abad district.
Kunduz residents said their houses were used as defensible place by insurgents during the four-day fighting which caused damages to houses.
“Taliban’s stronghold was in this house. There were heavy and light weapons in this house,” said Nazar Mohammad, a resident of Kunduz.
The fight was concentrated to Madrassa and Omarkhail villages, local officials said.
The violent clash in Kunduz took place on Sunday when the Taliban militants launched an offensive against security force’s outpost in some parts of the province, including the outskirts of Kunduz city.
