Taliban attacks Afghan army post killing 18 soldiers

Kabul : As many as 18 Afghan soldiers and members of the special forces have been killed in fighting in the western province of Farah, local officials said yesterday. 

Taliban fighters attacked troops assembled to prepare an attack in Bala Buluk district in the night, setting off a fierce battle, officials said.

Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said four members of the special forces had been killed and a number wounded, but the head of the local provincial council, Farid Bakhtawar, said the death toll had reached at least 18. As the fighting went on, an air strike was called in and killed around 25 insurgents, he said.

In a message posted on Twitter, a Taliban spokesman said 53 commandos had been killed or wounded after arriving in Tapa Sadat, close to the Bala Buluk district center, and a sizeable quantity of weapons seized. 

OIC condemns attack

Condemning strongly the attack, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in a statement, called on all Afghan leaders and political forces to respond to Islamic National Unity Government’s recent offer for unconditional peace and reconciliation talks.

The OIC reiterated its appeal to the Government and all parties in Afghanistan to unite and redouble their efforts to effectively neutralize the scourge of terrorism and achieve peace and reconciliation countrywide.

“The recent wave of violence and terror attacks targeting civilian population, including the car-bomb attack that claimed scores of lives in Kabul on Friday 9 March, are signs of growing despair and panic on the part of the terrorists who are getting more and more isolated in the face of Afghan nation’s determination to achieve lasting peaceful settlement,” said OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen. 

“We renew our deep sympathies and condolences to the Afghan people and families of the victims,” said the OIC Secretary General.

The statement also urged Afghanistan’s neighbours and international community to extend unequivocal support to the Afghan-led peace process and speedy reconstruction of Afghanistan  “which are imperative for stability and sustainable development in the region and beyond.”