Dozens of Taliban killed in air, ground ops: Afghan army

By Zabihullah Tamanna

KABUL

At least 87 Taliban militants have been killed and scores others wounded in ground and air operations conducted by the Afghan military in different parts of Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said Saturday.

According to a ministry statement, raids were conducted over the past 24 hours in different provinces in response to the launch earlier this week of the Taliban’s annual spring offensive.

"At least 39 militants were killed and 53 others wounded in Dasht-i-Archi, Khanabad and on the outskirts of Kunduz city," the statement read.

On Friday morning, hundreds of Taliban insurgents launched an offensive in Kunduz province aimed at capturing the provincial capital, which, according to the army, left scores of Taliban militants dead.

The ministry statement added: "Another 35 terrorists were killed -- and 30 others wounded -- owing to operations in Farah, Kunar, Kapisa, Paktia, Jawzjan, Nangarhar and Helmand province."

The statement went on to assert that another 13 militants had been killed in the Dand-e-Ghori and Dand-e-Shahabuddin districts in the adjacent province of Baghlan, while another 10 had been wounded.

The Taliban, meanwhile, released photos and videos of Afghan army bases which they said had been captured by their fighters in the northern Baghlan province.

On Tuesday, the militant group announced the launch of a fresh spring offensive as the Taliban insurgency entered its 15th year.

According to a Taliban statement, "Operation Omari" is aimed at "clearing the remaining areas [of Afghanistan] of enemy control" and "demoralizing" the foreign forces that still remain in the war-torn country.

Kabul, for its part, described the announcement as "propaganda", saying its forces were prepared to respond to all forms of aggression.