30 Pakistanis among 112 Taliban killed in airstrikes in Helmand: Govt

Thirty Pakistani nationals, who were members of al Qaeda, were among the 112 Taliban terrorists killed in airstrikes in Helmand province, Afghanistan’s defence ministry said on Saturday.

“112 #Taliban terrorists including 30 #Pakistani affiliated to Al-Qaeda terrorist network for indian subcontinent, were killed and 31 others wounded in #airstrikes conducted by #AAF at the outskirts of #Lashkargah city, #Helmand provincial center, yesterday,” the Afghan ministry of defence tweeted.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of harbouring terrorists in its territory and supporting the Taliban offensive against the Afghan government forces.

On Friday, the Afghan ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Ghulam Isaczai said that Afghanistan is ready to provide the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with evidence in support of its claim that Pakistan is ensuring a supply chain to the Taliban. “Should members of the Security Council want that evidence, we are ready to provide them,” Isaczai said, according to news agency ANI.

He also said that the Afghan government has been in constant contact with Pakistan over the matter and has provided Islamabad with the evidence.

The Taliban has mounted its offensive across the country and on Saturday captured Sheberghan city in Jawzjan on Saturday, a day after Zaranj city in Nimroz fell to the terrorists “without a fight”. Zaranj was the first provincial capital to be taken by the Taliban. The Taliban is now challenging government forces in other provincial capitals including Herat, near the western border with Iran, and Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.

The group has been attacking civilians and Afghan defence forces and gained vast parts of rural Afghanistan since launching a series of offensives in May as US and Nato troops started leaving the country. The withdrawal of foreign forces is due to be complete at the end of August.