Reinforcements Sent to Faryab as Fighting Continues

Reinforcements arrived in the northern province of Faryab early hours of Monday morning to launch operations in areas that have fallen the Taliban, the provincial police said.

The security forces have mobilized and will launch the operation soon, Faryab police spokesman Abdul Hakim Yurish said.

The clashes inched closer to the city of Maimana, the center of Faryab, on Sunday morning.

The police spokesman said that “four Taliban were killed and 11 more were wounded in a clash in Pashtun Kot district in Faryab.

He added that seven Taliban were killed in Afghan forces operation in Sabz village in Pashtun Kot district. The Dahan Dara village in the district was also cleared of Taliban, he said.

Taliban has not yet commented on the operations.

A statement by Afghan Army’s 209 Shaheen Corps read that the Taliban’s gatherings were targeted by airstrikes in Dawlat Abad and Chahar Bolak districts in Balkh on Sunday in which 31 members of the group were killed and seven more were wounded.

The officials said that 11 vehicles owned by the Taliban were damaged in the airstrikes, the statement said.

Taliban has issued a statement and claimed that they have captured the center of Dawlat Abad and Shulgara district in Balkh province, but local officials have not commented on the fall of the areas to the group.

While many districts in Faryab are under Taliban influence, clashes inched closer to the outskirts of the city of Maimana on Sunday, increasing the alarm of Faryab residents and lawmakers from the province in Kabul, who said that urgent action by the security forces is needed.

Along with fighting in the center of Faryab, the centers of 11 districts have fallen to the Taliban on Sunday.

The districts include Chal, Namak Ab, Yangi Qala, Khwaja Ghar and Hazar Samooch districts in Takhar, the Dara-e-Soof-e-Bala district in Samangan, Chahar Bolak district in Balkh, Khashrod District in Nimroz, Manjigak and Khanaqah districts in Jawzjan and Kharwar district in Logar.

Faryab lawmakers said the province needs urgent attention to push back the Taliban attacks from the center of Faryab.

The newly appointed acting defense minister Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi called on the people to stand with security forces and that the government will provide facilities and equipment.