Gun fight in northeastern Afghanistan kills 27

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

At least 27 people, including five policemen and 22 militants, were killed in three days of clashes between Afghan security forces and pro-Daesh militants, officials said Tuesday.

The militants stormed security check posts early on Sunday in Sokai district of mountainous Kunar province.

Fareed Dehqan, spokesman of the provincial police headquarters, said 22 pro-Daesh militants had been killed and 32 others wounded.

He added five policemen had lost their lives and 15 members of a local uprising force were injured.

This is the first major assault staged by the pro-Daesh militants in Kunar’s Chambel area. The group is mainly based in eastern Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan’s restive tribal belt, and has some pockets of influence in northern Jawzjan and Faryab provinces bordering Central Asia.

The Afghan security forces last week claimed to have killed over 80 militants of the group in various counter-terrorism operations.

The crackdown came after Daesh claimed a suicide attack at a Tehran-backed cultural center killing 50 people in capital Kabul, and another one during funeral prayers in Jalalbad, killing 15 people.