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KABUL: The National Directorate of Security provided a former jihadi commander with weapons to fight against the Taliban in the northern province of Baghlan, sources said Saturday.
The sources, who wished to go unnamed, said that hundreds of people including public uprising forces and former jihadi fighters have been armed after the Taliban overrun several areas in the province.
A former jihadi commander, Meer Haidar said that he would fight alongside the security forces against the Taliban.
The Afghan security forces said that they have broken the siege of the militants in Dahana-e-Ghori district in the northern province of Baghlan.
Safiullah Amiri, commander of commando forces in the north said that the reinforcements have arrived in the district and that three outposts were retaken from the insurgents. “At least 10 security force members were rescued during the operation,” he said.
Amiri said that he was accompanied by the deputy commander of the Afghan Army’s 209 Shaheen Corps and stationed more forces there. He added that the paths which connect the district with Pul-e-Khumri city, the center of Baghlan, have been cleared of the Taliban presence.
“The Taliban suffered heavy casualties in the clashes,” he said, without giving the exact details on the number of casualties. The Taliban staged attacks on Nahrin district in Baghlan province on Friday night. According to local sources, the attacks were pushed back by Afghan forces.
Taliban has not commented on the attacks.
On Friday, the Ministry of Defense said that 17 Taliban were killed in Afghan commandos operations in Baghlan province.
