Afghan: 75 rebels killed in fresh counter-terror push

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Afghan security forces on Sunday claimed to have killed 75 rebels in fresh counter-terrorism offensives amid ambiguity surrounding the proposed peace talks with the Taliban.

Air and ground offensives in the past 24 hours also wounded 20 rebels in the Nangarhar, Kapisa, Parwan, Ghazni, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Badghes, Farah, Balkh, Jawzjan, Takhar, and Helmand provinces, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

There was no mention of the casualties sustained by security forces.

The offensives come amid ambiguity over proposed peace talks in the country, with the Taliban unwilling to meet or recognize the government based in Kabul, the capital.

In a separate development, the Afghan secret service, NDS, announced it had busted a three-member gang behind the massive truck bombing on the capital’s diplomatic enclave in May 2017 that killed close to 100 people and injured more than 400, besides damaging many embassies.

The NDS said the alleged terrorists are associated with the Haqqani Network, a fierce offshoot of the Taliban.

According to local Tolo News, the latest arrests came after eight people got lengthy jail sentences last week over the January 2018 Intercontinental Hotel attack in Kabul.

At least 43 people, including four foreign nationals, were killed in the attack, claimed by the Taliban.