Afghanistan

NRF claims it captured Shekay district in Badakhshan

NRF members in Panjshir. File photo.

The Shekay district in the northeastern province of Badakhshan has fallen to NRF, the anti-Taliban resistance front, a spokesman of the movement, Sibghatullah Ahmadi, said on Monday.

Ahmadi told Amu that at least 10 members of the Taliban, including the Taliban district governor for Shekay, were detained by NRF members.

A resident of Shekay district told Amu that the fighting was helped by a former public uprising forces commander who ambushed the Taliban by his fighters.

“With the fall of the district, a big number of former security force members and Taliban members joined the NRF forces,” the resident said who wished not to be named over security reasons.

This comes amidst sporadic clashes in at least five districts of Badakhshan over the past few weeks.

Taliban did not immediately comment on the fall of the district.

But Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency in a tweet reported on Monday evening that Taliban defense minister Mullah Yaqub visited the border areas of Badakhshan province.

Clashes in north-east

A source told Amu that a clash happened between the Taliban and the NRF in Imam Sahib district in Kunduz on Sunday night in which a key Taliban commander, Abu Omar, and three of his fighters were killed.

There are also reports about fighting in the Shahr-e-Bozorg district in Badakhshan. Moreover, local residents have reported clashes in Raghistan and Kiran Minjan districts.

In Takhar, sources said, clashes have happened in Dasht-e-Qala, Farkhar, Chal and Baharak districts, leaving casualties on both sides.