Kabul: Over 75 Taliban terrorists, including three heads of their military commission, were killed in airstrikes and ground operations carried out by Afghan security forces during the last 24 hours in Helmand, said Afghanistan's deputy defense minister spokesperson Fawad Aman on Tuesday.
At least 22 terrorists were wounded during the operations.
"77 Taliban terrorists including 3 heads of their military commission were killed & 22 others wounded in outskirts of Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province during 24 past hours as a result of airstrikes & ANA ground operation. Operations against terrorists continue in Helmand," Aman added.
Earlier, Afghanistan Defence Ministry announced that the US conducted an aerial strike on Helmand's Lashkargah city killing at least 40 Taliban terrorists.
This comes in wake of the drawdown by foreign troops from the war-torn country. Heavy clashes are taking place between Afghanistan forces and the Taliban in several Afghan cities.
Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country's northeastern province.
Nationwide, the Taliban controls 223 districts, with 116 contested and the government holding 68, according to the Long War Journal, whose calculations tally with CNN's estimates. It says 17 of 34 provincial capitals are directly threatened by the Taliban. Afghanistan has witnessed a spike in violence as the Taliban stepped up its offensive in the country.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said that 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 others injured in the first six months of this year, marking an 80 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020.
The Commission report noted that during this period 154 women were killed and 350 were wounded. These numbers in 2020 were 126 killed and 171 wounded.
