Afghanistan: 14 servicemen killed, 5 wounded in Taliban attack

A Taliban attack in northern Afghanistan targetting a pro-government militia compound reportedly killed at least 14 members of the Afghan security forces on December 30. According to international media reports, out of the 14 fatalities in the attack in Jawzjan province, 13 members were of pro-government militia and one was a policeman. Five others were also reportedly wounded and two are still missing. 

Abdul Maroof Azer, the government's spokesman told a local media outlet that the reinforcements later managed to reach the area and the compound is now firmly back under government control. However, the attack was immediately claimed by Taliban and just hours before it was also reported that a temporary nationwide cease-fire had been agreed upon among their council leaders, although, it wasn't clear when the cease-fire would go into effect. The Taliban have also intensified their attacks in northern Afghanistan in recent days as they recently also targeted a local militiamen compound in northern Takhar province which reportedly killed at least 17 Afghan militiamen. 

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Air force strikes in Afghanistan

In another recent attack, ten Afghan soldiers were reportedly killed on a checkpoint in southern Helmand province. Taliban presently controls over half of the country along with ISIS and stage near-daily attacks targetting Afghan and US forces and Afghan government officials. However, an air raid by national security forces in Afghanistan's northwestern Badghis province killed nearly eight Taliban terrorists on December 25. 

The same operation left five other terrorists wounded. On the same day, two separate explosions in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia killed an Afghan soldier and injured two others. A spokesperson for the provincial police, Sardar Wali Tabasam said that one border guard died and another was injured when they were hit by a blast while patrolling the Nozy Khwali area of the Samkani district in the morning. Another bomb went off targetting the security forces in the Khairmani area of the Ariub Zazi district and injured one more police official. 

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