Tajikistan nationals among 31 killed in Afghan Special Forces night raid

AVA- The 209th Shaheen Corps officials in the North said the operations were conducted on Friday night in the vicinity of Imam Sahib district.

The officials further added that two foreigners hailing from Tajikistan and four commanders of the militants were among those killed and at least seventeen others were wounded.

According to Shaheen Corps officials, the militants leaders killed during the operation have been identified as Mawlavi Musa, Qari Amir Mazhari, Mawlavi Mansoor, and Mullah Abdul Hakim.

The operations were conducted in Qerghiz, Joi Begum, Pul-e-Imamuddin, and Yakhan Chan villages, the Shaheen Corps officials said, adding several weapons and ammunition were also confiscated during the operations.

The anti-government armed militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far.

This comes as the Afghan Special Forces have stepped up counter-terrorism operations during the recent months amid optimisms that they have proved more effective in suppressing the insurgents.

Reacting towards the killing of a top Al-Qaeda leader in a similar raid, NATO and US forces commander Gen. John Nicholson said last week that “This operation is a testament to the real growth the Afghan forces have achieved over the past year,” he said.

Gen. Nicholson further added “It is also another example of the lethality of the undefeated Afghan Special Forces and the success of working side by side with our Afghan partners.”

The Afghan security authorities said last Tuesday that a top leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network has been killed along with at least 80 other militants during the operations of the Afghan and US forces.

The Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), the militants were killed during the operations conducted in Ghazni, Zabul, and Paktia provinces.