The Afghanistan freedom front has claimed that at least 10 Taliban members were killed and six others wounded in clashes in Zebak district of Badakhshan province on Tuesday. The group said members of foreign armed groups were among the Taliban casualties.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 26 August, the Afghanistan Freedom Front said the latest round of fighting began after noon on Tuesday, 25 August, between its forces and Taliban reinforcements deployed to the front lines in Zebak district. The clashes continued until 10 p.m.
According to the statement, the Taliban launched several artillery attacks along multiple axes in an attempt to breach the Freedom Front’s defensive lines. The group claimed that the attacks failed to achieve their objectives and were met with resistance from its forces.
The Freedom Front also claimed that, following the clashes, the Taliban removed the bodies of those killed and wounded from the site to undisclosed locations. The group attributed the move to an effort to prevent the identities of some foreign fighters from being revealed.
The statement said that after the fighting ended, Freedom Front forces consolidated their positions in the area. The group did not provide further details about the number of forces involved or any potential casualties on its own side.
Referring to its claim that members of foreign armed groups were fighting alongside the Taliban, the Freedom Front said the Taliban had removed the bodies and even some wounded individuals associated with those fighters because of concerns that their identities could be exposed.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the Afghanistan Freedom Front’s claims. Details of the clashes, the reported casualties, and the alleged presence of foreign fighters among Taliban forces have not been independently verified.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
