Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: Afghan Security Forces have killed and wounded hundreds of Taliban rebels in multiple extensive raids conducted in northern parts of the country within past two weeks, military officials said Tuesday.
The 209st Shaheen Corps in a statement said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted aerial and ground operations against the militants in northern Faryab, Jawzjan, Sar-e-Pull and Balk provinces, in which more than 396 Taliban rebels were killed and 201 others wounded.
In addition to that 21 more Taliban militants were arrested alive.
According to the statement, 51 of killed militants, 44 wounded and three of arrested were Taliban group leaders. The statement said that a number of enemy’s strongholds, hideouts, facilities and explosive depose were destroyed during these operations. Also, some ammunition and weapons, and different kind of vehicles were seized.
This comes in the wake of controversial Afghan peace talks, which is currently under discussion between the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalamy Khalilzad and Taliban peace negotiators in Doha. Khalilzad kicked of his seventh round of talks with the Taliban official on Saturday this week. The talks lasted for four days so far, which according to some sources both sides likely agreed about holding an intra-Afghan talks on July 7-8 in Qatar.
However, some analysts have expressed concerns over intensifying of offensive by the government and Taliban group as both sides try to have upper hand in the ongoing peace talk.
