Afghanistan defense forces destroy Taliban hideouts in Kandahar airstrike; watch video

As the battle between the Afghanistan military and Taliban intensifies, the former has ramped up its strikes on the insurgent group. Now, in its latest operation, the Afghan Air Force (AAF), on Saturday, bombarded Taliban hideouts in the Zherai district of Kandahar. In addition to Kandahar, the Afghan forces also struck Herat, Helmand, Kabul, and Ghazni. The aerial strikes killed more than 254 militants, destroyed ammunition, and annihilated several of the group’s safe-haven.   

MoD shares video

On August 1, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense shared a video of the airstrike that it conducted in Zherai. The six-second video captures the exact moment when the missiles landed on the hideouts. “Tens of #terrorists were killed and wounded as a result of the #airstrike,” the country’s ministry of defence stated. 

Three rockets hit Kandahar Airport

Earlier on Sunday, three rockets had hit the Kandahar airport, an official informed. As per the official, the rockets struck the Kandahar airbase overnight, two of which landed on the runway. After the attack, all flights from the airport have been cancelled. As per reports, work is underway to restore the airport, and operations are expected to resume later on Sunday. Officials have also stated that no casualties were reported in the rocket attack. 

Stepping up its operations, the Taliban had earlier attacked the United Nations office in Herat with rocket grenades and gunfire. The attack led to the death of one Afghan security guard and wounded several other officers. The United States has strongly condemned the attack and demanded an immediate reduction in violence in the country. 

"The United States strongly condemns the attack on the United Nations compound in Herat, Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an Afghan guard. The United Nations in Afghanistan is a civilian entity focused on supporting peace efforts, promoting the rights of all Afghans and providing humanitarian and development assistance. Attacks against civilian UN personnel and facilities are prohibited under international law," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement

File Image: AP