Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT News
KABUL: Dawlat Shah district in eastern Laghman and Jalirz of central Wardak provinces have fallen to the Taliban as the group intensified offensive countrywide, provincial officials confirmed.
The representatives of Laghman in the lower house of the parliament (Wolesi Jirga) said that the insurgents staged attacks on the Dawlat Shah district compound from several directions. According to the representatives, the district was besieged by the militants for more than six months.
The clashes between the security forces and Taliban inflicted casualties on civilians. But the ministry of defense said that the security forces are stationed in the district to push the militants back. “The rumors about the collapse of Dawlat Shah district are inaccurate,” said, Rohullah Ahmadzai, a spokesman for the ministry of defense. “The security forces exist there.”
A lawmaker from Laghman, Zaifon Safai said that the Taliban entered Laghman from the neighboring provinces and trying to intensify their offensive. “(Taliban) have come to Dawlat Shah from Alingar, not only from Alingar but also from Kunar, Nuristan, Jalalabad for war,” she added.
Khalil Rahman Yadgari the district governor for Jalriz of Wardak also confirmed that the district was collapsed to the Taliban. He said that the 25 security forces were surrendered to the insurgents. “The district and security management office was collapsed,” he added.
But the interior ministry’s spokesman, Tariq Arian said that the security forces conducted a “tactical retreat”. “There is no issue of collapse, even if the Taliban get close, the security forces exist there to suppress the militants,” he added.
The Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid said that the district is under the Taliban control.
The armed conflicts between the government and security forces have escalated as the two sides claiming for leverage amid the withdrawal of international forces.
