17 militants killed in Afghanistan

Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-19 20:17:29|Editor: huaxia

KABUL, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen Taliban militants were killed and one militant was wounded in two Afghan provinces during Thursday night, the command of Afghan Special Forces confirmed on Friday.

A batch of Taliban militants stormed security checkpoints in Mianshin district of southern Kandahar province. In return, the Afghan National Army (ANA) service members pounded Taliban positions with heavy gun shelling, killing 13 enemies and injuring one other, the ANA Special Operations Corps said in a statement.

In eastern Paktika province, four militants were killed after an airstrike targeted them in Sar Hawza district, the statement said, adding the strike was conducted on an accurate intelligence tip.

The statement did not say whether the airstrike was launched by NATO-led coalition forces or the Afghan Air Force.

Taliban militant group has not responded to the report so far.

The fresh clashes raised questions about a peace deal inked between the United States and Taliban in Qatar in February, which paved the way for a phased U.S. force withdrawal.

According to the agreement, the U.S. and NATO forces will withdraw from Afghanistan by July next year.

Presently, more than 10,000 foreign forces, including some 8,600 Americans, are serving in Afghanistan to train and assist local security forces in their fight against the insurgents. Enditem

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