Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Fayzabad district of Jawzjan, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2020. Afghan forces have launched a cleanup operation to drive militants out of two restive districts in the country's northern Jawzjan province with four militants killed and 10 others wounded, a local official said Thursday. (Photo by Mohammad Jan Aria/Xinhua)
SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces have launched a cleanup operation to drive militants out of two restive districts in the country's northern Jawzjan province with four militants killed and 10 others wounded, a local official said Thursday.
"The operation was launched on Tuesday. The aim of the ongoing raid, codenamed Shaheen 220, was to trace militants and clear two insecure Khaneqa and Fayzabad districts of Jawzjan from Taliban insurgents," Abdul Maruf Azar, a provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua.
"Four anti-government fighters, including one of the Taliban key local divisional commanders known as Shaikh, have so far been killed and 10 others wounded during the operation," the spokesman added.
Five important sites, including the strategic Shah Mirza village, where militants were extorting money from passengers and local villagers, have also been cleared of insurgents during the raid operation so far, the spokesman noted.
The two districts have been the scene of heavy clashes between government security forces and Taliban militants for months, but according to the source 20 out of 24 villages have been gradually retaken since the operation kicked off.
The official did not sayd if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.
The Afghan security forces have recently beefed up security operations against the Taliban militants who have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions in the countryside during the winter.
The Taliban militant group has not made comments on the report yet.
