Afghan security forces recaptured Nawa district in Afghanistan’s eastern Ghazni province and established government control there after 10 years of Taliban rule, an official said.
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“Units of national security forces after 13 days of fierce operations evicted Taliban militants from Nawa district and established government control there for the first time in the past 10 years,” deputy to provincial government, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told reporters in provincial capital Ghazni city.
During the operations, 173 militants were killed and a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including 200 anti-personnel mines were discovered and defused, Xinhua news agency cited the official as saying.
A total of 18 militants handed over their weapons to police in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday.
18 surrendered
“Today 18 dissident brothers who were engaged in anti-government activities in Shinwar district and on Torkham-Jalalabad road over the past few years, laid down arms and gave up fighting,” Hajji Malik Nazir, head of the peace commission in Nangarhar, said at a ceremony to welcome the former militants held at provincial capital Jalalabad, 120 km east of Kabul .
“With these people joining the peace process, security will further improve in Nangarhar province,” Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.
Taliban militants fighting the government are yet to comment on the development.
More than 4,000 militants, according to Afghan officials, have given up fighting and joined the government-backed peace process over the past one year, a claim rebuffed by the Taliban as baseless.
Flash Floods
One person has been confirmed dead and 10 others were injured when a flash flood washed away more than 500 houses in Afghanistan’s northern province of Baghlan early Saturday.
“There was heavy rain in Baghlan-e-Markazi district Friday evening and the people left their houses to safer areas. It was early Saturday when a flash flood hit the area and washed away more than 500 houses,” district Governor Gohar Khan Babri told reporters in provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri, 160 km north of Kabul
The flood, he said also destroyed a water canal of more than 125,000 acres of agricultural land, besides killing hundreds of cattle heads of the locals, Xinhua news agency reported.
He also added that a survey has been initiated to determine the damages inflicted in the area.