30 militants killed amid ongoing clearance operations in Ghazni city
[KhaamaPress] At least thirty militants have been killed as clearance operations continue in Ghazni city, the provincial capital of southeastern Ghazni province.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said at least 30 militants were killed during the airstrikes conducted in the vicinity of Ghazni city and the main route to Ghazni passing through Salar area of Midan Wardak province.
According to a statement released the defense ministry, at least two militants were also arrested during the same operations.
The statement further added that the clearance operations have concluded in Hyderabad, Hassanabad, Maghlan, and Nawabad areas of Ghazni city and five police stations have reopened.
The defense ministry also added that the militants have set on fire almost all public welfare institutions and compounds during the attack in Ghazni city.
The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission also released some pictures of the city on Tuesday and confirmed that the clearance operations are underway by the Afghan forces forces in the city.
This comes as sporadic clashes continued in Ghazni for several days after the Taliban attack on the city in the early hours of Friday morning.
Taliban attack on Ghazni city caused terrible suffering to civilians: Yamamoto
[KhaamaPress] The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto has said the Taliban attack on Ghazni city has caused terrirble suffering to the civilians.Quoting unconfirmed reports in his statement, Mr. Yamamoto said the civilian casualties as a result of the attack range from 110 to 150 people.
Yamamoto further added that reliable information indicates that the Ghazni Public Hospital is overwhelmed by a continuous influx of injured government forces, Taliban fighters and civilians.
He said reports also indicate that the situation in Ghazni for non-combatants remains particularly grim, as the fighting has led to electricity outages along with water and food shortages. Communication networks and media outlets have been shuttered, and roads remain blocked, preventing freedom of movement for families seeking safety.
“The extreme human suffering caused by the fighting in Ghazni highlights the urgent need for the war in Afghanistan to end,” he said, adding that the United Nations continues to maintain that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.
According to Yamamoto, the Afghan Government has extended an unprecedented overture to talk with the Taliban rather than to fight.” The most recent Eid ceasefire on 15-17 June illustrated to all Afghans, especially those too young to have known anything but war, what peace looks like. It is therefore vital for this war to come to an end through an Afghan-led negotiated settlement,” he said.
He also added that the fighting in Ghazni must stop and the fighting in Afghanistan must stop. Confidence-building steps that immediately reduce violence are crucial, and talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are necessary to identify and expand common ground. The United Nations stands ready to support any endeavours that would advance peace in Afghanistan.
More than 220 militants killed in US airstrikes in Ghazni city
[KhaamaPress] The coalition forces officials in Afghanistan are saying that more than 220 militants were killed in the airstrikes conducted by the US forces during the Taliban attack on Ghazni city.Resolute Support spokesman Army Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell in a statement has said “From a U.S. Forces-Afghanistan perspective, U.S. airpower has killed more than 220 Taliban since August 10.”
According to O’Donnell, the U.S. conducted an initial strike on Friday, and conducted five strikes on Saturday, 16 strikes on Sunday, and ten on Monday.
He said U.S. Army Apache helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Combat Aviation Brigade provided close-air support on Friday, Sunday, and Monday.
“In terms of Resolute Support assistance to the Afghan-led clearance operation, Task Force-Southeast, U.S. Special Forces and 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade advisors are providing advice on things such as clearance operations and combined-arms integration,” O’Donnell added.
This comes as the Taliban group launched a coordinated attack on Ghazni city in the early hours of Friday morning, sparking clashes that continued until late on Monday.
According to reports, the local residents have also sustained heavy casualties apart from the casualties inflicted on Taliban and security forces.