Security officials were seen setting up an attack post in Sangeen district of Helmand on Friday after gaining ground on Taliban militants through an attack that left at least 30 insurgents dead, an epa journalist reports.
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He said that in Kanasheen district – which was overrun by Taliban on Friday and has been the scene of fierce fighting in the days since – two policemen were killed in battles.
Afghan officials, however, say the exact figure can not be measured, as the fight against the Taliban and other armed groups is continuing.
Afghan army commandos and regular units reached the Khanishin district centre on Saturday after the Taliban had taken control and successfully pushed them back, a Defence Ministry spokesman said Sunday. They want to consolidate the checkpoints, so that there are fewer of them but each one is more heavily-manned and less vulnerable to attack.
Kanashin borders Pakistan and major poppy-producing districts, and is an important drug smuggling route. Helmand produces most of the world’s opium, which helps fund the Taliban’s insurgency.
Heavy fighting in the Helmand district of Afghanistan has resulted with shifting control to Taliban.
In its quarterly report to Congress, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar) observed that in the second quarter of this year, the Taliban gained new territory and now control 19 of the country’s approximately 400 governing districts.
However, a Taliban spokesman claimed the group has captured the entire district after clearing it of “enemies”.
A 40-year-old man was killed instantly and a 23-year-old man died later of his injuries, Ahmadi said.
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Drone attacks on Taliban hideouts in western Afghanistan’s Nimroz province have killed 25 insurgents including a group commander, military corps based in the western region said on Saturday.
