KABUL, Afghanistan
Suspected Taliban militants shot dead 12 anti-landmine workers in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province Saturday, Afghan police said.
According to provincial police spokesman Farid Ahmad Obaid, suspected Taliban riding motorbikes opened fire on the workers at around 11 a.m. local time in the province’s Shorabak district.
“The innocent staff was on routine duty when they were shot dead,” Obaid said.
Afghan army said their troops retaliated and killed four militants.
“By the time we got the report, our forces conducted a counter attack against the Taliban, killing four and arresting three others with their weapons,” Deputy Army Corps Commander Ghulam Farouq Parwani said.
Taliban’s use of landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices have resulted in several casualties on the Afghan and international coalition side during the last 13 years of the war in Afghanistan.
Thousands of people have lost their lives and over a million Afghans have been disabled because of landmines during the last three decades of war in the volatile country.
Afghanistan also has the highest number of casualties among mine-clearing teams.
In June 10, 2014, eight Afghan mine clearers were killed and three others injured by suspected Taliban in eastern province of Logar.
The Taliban have intensified their deadly raids as Afghan security forces prepare to take responsibility from international forces by end of 2014
Afghan forces kill 65, injure 44 'Taliban militants'
At least 65 suspected Taliban militants were killed and 44 others were injured in clashes in six provinces of Afghanistan in the last 24 hours, Afghan authorities said Saturday.
Also, security forces said they arrested 12 militants and diffused 78 landmines.
“Afghan army troops have killed 54 Taliban insurgents and injured 42 others. At least 12 other militants were also arrested,” Defense Ministry Spokesman Zahir Azimi said.
Azimi added that two Afghan army soldiers were also killed in roadside bomb attacks.
The Ministry of Interior said in a statement that police also killed 11 militants and wounded two others.
“Afghan National Police conducted several anti-terrorism operations in Baghlan, Kunduz, Faryab, Ghazni, Paktika and Herat provinces to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan,” the interior ministry statement said.
“Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated light and heavy rounds of ammunition,” it added.
Taliban militants dismissed the figures as propaganda of the Afghan government.
Afghanistan has seen wave of deadly attacks since the new elected government took power three months ago.
NATO and the U.S. are preparing to withdraw combat forces from Afghanistan by end of 2014 after 13 years of war.
www.aa.com.tr/en
