Advancing Taliban claim capturing 2 more districts in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan

The advancing Taliban in Afghanistan on Monday claimed capturing two more districts in the southern and central parts of the country amid escalating violence.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said in a series of tweets that the Taliban managed to overrun Shahrak district in central Ghor province which is next to Herat province bordering Iran. He also claimed overrunning Gezab district in restive southern Uruzgan province.

However, the Defense Ministry dubbed it as a strategic retreat to avoid civilian casualties in the area. It said in a statement that at least 126 Taliban insurgents were killed and 79 wounded in clean-up operations in the past 24 hours in Nangarhar, Khost, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktia, Ghazni, Uruzgan, Badghis, Herat, Ghor, Sarpol, Faryab, Baghlan, Kunduz and Helmand provinces.

Also on Monday, funeral prayers for Qaisar district police chief Saif Rehman were offered in northern Faryab province. He was killed along with 14 policemen while fighting the advancing insurgents.

The Taliban claimed on Saturday to have overrun at least five districts in various parts of the war-ravaged country amid escalating violence.

Violence has surged in the country since the US announced its troops will leave by Sept. 11. According to Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry, more than 250 civilian casualties, allegedly caused by the Taliban, were recorded in May. The Taliban, however, have rejected the government’s claim.