GHAZNI/ JALALABAD/ MAZAR-E-SHARIF - Over two dozen people including 15 civilians have been confirmed dead as militants attacked Jaghori district in the eastern Ghazni province on Sunday, police said.
“The attack conducted by Taliban rebels in Hotqul area of Jaghori district at 3:00 a.m. local time has claimed 25 lives, including 15 civilians and 10 security personnel,” police spokesman in the restive province Ahmad Khan Sirat told Xinhua.
More than a dozen more civilians and security personnel have been injured in the fighting, he confirmed. According to the spokesman, the fighting was over at 7:00 a.m. local time after the “Taliban suffered casualties” and fled the area.
The militant group has also confirmed fighting in Hotqul area, claiming 25 security personnel have been killed. Taliban militants launched surprise offensive against the peaceful Jaghori district on Wednesday and since then sporadic fighting has been reported.
Meanwhile, over a dozen people, mostly security personnel were killed as the armed militants stormed security checkpoints in Burka district of Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Saturday night, member of provincial council Bismillah Atash said Sunday.
The militants, according to the official, attacked some security checkpoints in Falul area of Burka district late Saturday night, killing over a dozen people with majority of them security personnel.
Taliban militants also suffered casualties in the fighting that lasted for a while, the official added.
Burka district has been regarded as a stronghold of Taliban militants in the restive Baghlan province.
Police kill 1 gambler, detain 65 others
Police on Saturday raided a gambling house in Mazar-e-Sharif city, capital of Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province, killing a gambler and arresting 65 others, said a police statement released on Sunday.
The police personnel, according to the statement, raided the gambling home in Darwaza Shadian area of Mazar-e-Sharif city late Saturday night and after gunning down its ringleader, the police rounded up 65 more gamblers for investigation.
Gambling, like poppy cultivation and drug business, is illegal in Afghanistan. But the practice of testing chance for wining money goes operational with police connivance in many parts of the insurgnecy-hit country, locals said.