At least 18 Afghan soldiers have lost their lives following an attack by Taliban militants against an army outpost in the northeastern province of Badakhshan.
« Eighteen Afghan soldiers were martyred and eight of them were beheaded, » said Naweed Frotan, the spokesman for Badakhshan’s governor, on Monday,
Frotan added that the offensive also left around 12 soldiers missing. Reports say the troops have most likely been taken hostage by the terrorists.
« Our rescue operations are continuing to track down and bring back the security forces who went missing in the assault, » he went on to say.
According to Sakhidad Haidar, Badakhshan’s deputy police chief, 20 Taliban militants were also killed in the incident.
Afghan’s Defense Ministry confirmed the attack, saying, however, that 33 Afghan soldiers were killed, injured or missing following the offensive.
Last month, the Taliban terrorists abducted 20 drivers and passengers belonging to Balouch ethnic group in Afghanistan’s central province of Daykundi.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but insecurity still remains in some provinces.
The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, at least 13,500 foreign forces, mainly from the US, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.
NATO says the forces will focus mainly on counterterrorism operations and training Afghan soldiers and policemen.