PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 40 militants including Taliban's shadow governor for the besieged northern Baghlan province have been killed by government forces, a spokesman for the Afghan Special Forces Corps said on Thursday.
"Units of Special Forces backed by airpower begun targeting Taliban positions around provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri in the early hours of Thursday and so far 40 armed rebels including Mawlawi Abidullah, the shadow governor for Baghlan, have been killed and six main bases of the militants have been destroyed," Abdul Ghafar Nuristani told Xinhua.
Some local commanders including Mullah Abdul Rahim, the in-charge for intelligence affairs of the Taliban outfit, were also among those killed in the raids, the official added.
According to Ghafari, the security forces were going to expel the militants from in and around the besieged Pul-e-Khumri city.
Jawed Basharat, spokesman for the provincial police, told reporters that all the roads leading to Pul-e-Khumri city had been opened and Aziz Haqyar, the shadow district governor for Baghlan-e-Markazi district, had been killed and the militants were fleeing the area.
The Taliban militants have not made comments on the report yet.
