Taliban attack on Afghan city foiled; 28 militants dead

Kabul, July 27

Afghan security forces have foiled a Taliban attack on the city of Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar province, and killed 28 militants, an official said on Tuesday. The Taliban militants, according to the official, were planning to storm Taluqan city from different directions but the ground troops backed by fighter planes targeted the militants, forcing them to retreat.

Besides the 28 victims, 17 Taliban militants were also injured. The Taliban reportedly control all 16 districts of Takhar province and have been fighting to capture Taluqan city, 245 km north of Kabul.

A number of Takhar residents have staged a sit-in in Kabul, calling on the central government to send more troops to the province. In another development, nine militants, including four foreigners, were confirmed dead after soldiers ambushed Taliban fighters in in Kuran-wo-Munjan district of the Badakhshan province. — IANS

‘NATO will continue to support Ghani’

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he had spoken to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to reassure him that NATO would continue to support the country, where Taliban advances have piled pressure on the US-backed government in Kabul. Reuters