Afghan forces kill 18 militants, Taliban overrun district

Amid ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan, the government forces conducted air strikes against Taliban hideouts in Taliban former stronghold the southern Helmand province Sunday morning, killing 18 insurgents, a security official said.

"Acting on tip-off, the warplanes carried out air raids and struck Taliban hideouts in Loimanda area of Nad Ali district of Helmand province on Sunday morning, killing 18 rebels on the spot, " army spokesman in the province, Brigadier Mohammad Rasoul Zazai told Xinhua.

The official also added that a Taliban vehicle was destroyed in the air strikes.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of the troubled Helmand province and have captured a few districts in some provinces over the past couple of months are yet to make comment.

Notorious for growing poppy and insurgency, Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of national capital Kabul city has been regarded as Taliban hotbed in the conflict-ridden Afghanistan.

In another military development, Taliban militants captured Ghormach district in the northern Faryab province with Maimana as its capital 425 km north of Kabul on Sunday, a local official said.

"The armed Taliban fighters, after fierce fighting, entered the center of Ghormach district and captured the district headquarters at 02:00 a.m. local time today forcing security forces to retreat, " head of provincial council, Sayed Abdul Baqi Hashimi told Xinhua.

Taliban militants, he said, are presently wandering in the bazaar of Ghormach district.

He also warned if the government fails to send reinforcement and air support, the militants would capture all bases of security forces deployed in the district.

Meantime, police in Ghormach district declined to make comment.

However, a local official on condition of anonymity told Xinhua that the Taliban militants, after capturing Ghormach district, have set government buildings on fire, including district headquarters and police department and have been strengthening their hold.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants in an online statement confirmed capturing Ghormach district, saying the militants overran the district early Sunday and have seized huge quantity of arms and ammunitions including a battle tank.

Afghan military analysts believe that the armed militants have been attempting to take more territory and consolidate their positions ahead of winter in the mountainous Afghanistan. Enditem