Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 9, 2017. Up to 200 militants have been killed over the past week as government forces crackdown on Taliban has been continuing in Nawa district of the southern Helmand province, Nawa district police chief Nafas Khan said Sunday.(Xinhua/Abduz Aziz Safdari)
KABUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of armed militants have been killed as government forces have mounted pressure on the Taliban outfit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand, northern Jawzjan and Balkh provinces over the past week, officials said Sunday.
The government forces, according to police, have killed up to 200 Taliban fighters after the security forces backed by aircraft targeted Taliban positions in Nawa district of the southern Helmand province over the past one week.
"Security forces backed by helicopter gunships have been targeting Taliban positions in Nawa district over the past one week and so far up to 200 armed insurgents including group commanders have been killed," district police chief Nafas Khan told Xinhua.
He also noted that the government forces would do their best to restore lasting peace and stability in the troubled district and adjoining areas.
Khan, however, contended that no security personnel have been harmed in the fighting for the control of the isolated Nawa district.
Disputing the claim, Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in contact with media asserted that the armed group after killing nine security personnel has forced the government forces to retreat Nawa district.
In identical operations, the government forces have been pounding Taliban hideouts in Faizabad district of the northern Jawzjan province and Chamtal district of Balkh province over the past five days, Jawzjan police chief Rahmatullah Turkistani said Sunday.
More than 50 Taliban fighters, according to Turkistani have been killed and dozens of others injured over the past five days, forcing militants to flee to the nearby mountains.
The security forces have also thwarted Taliban designs to capture Chamtal district bordering Faizabad district in Jawzjan, Turkistani said, adding the security forces would continue to target anti-government militants elsewhere in the country.
The Taliban group has speeded up activities since launching its so-called annual spring offensive launched in late April and since then has gain grounds in parts of the country, although it has failed to overrun a city.
Afghan observers believe that the Taliban militants like past years would step up operations in summer to gain more grounds and consolidate positions ahead of winter in the mountainous Afghanistan.
