FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): The Badakhshan provincial council chairman on Saturday said a base of the Afghan security forces in Warduj district remained under Taliban’s siege, but the Ministry of Interior denied the claims.
The base, which daily comes under insurgent attacks, is located in Tirgran area, around five kilometers from the district centre, Abdullah Naji told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Around 200 Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan Local Police (ALP) and border policemenwere besieged in the area, he said, adding the security personnel had been resisting attacks over the past three days.
The facility could be overrun by Taliban if ground force were not provided air support in time, Naji warned, saying the Afghan National Army (ANA), ALP and Public Order Police personnel had arrived at the site.
However, it remains unclear whether they have faced attacks.He said part of Tirgran area was already under Taliban’s control.
Roads leading to Ishkashim, Zibak, Shaghnan and Wakhan districts would be blocked and the district centremight face a high security threat if the Taliban captured the military base, he said.
Provincial police chief Col. Sakhi Dad Haidari confirmed the security forces in Badakhshan lacked air support -- a matter of great concern.He has requested the Ministries of Defense and of Interior for air support, but they are yet to come up with a positive response.
At least 18 rebels, including two foreign nationals and as many Taliban commanders, had been killed during the past three days, Haidari said.Local officials say nearly 300 militants, 70 of them foreigners, are fighting Afghan forces in Warduj.
Meanwhile, the Taliban militants claimed capturing an important security post in Tirgran area and killing at leasta dozen border police personnel.
However, Seddiq Seddqui the MoI spokesman rejected the claim that Afghan forces were besieged by Taliban militants in Warduj district and said none of Afghan military bases were under the Taliban threat.
He said that Taliban militants had launched several attacks on military bases in Warduj but 22 militants were killed and 13 others wounded in retaliatory attacks by Afghan forces.
Dawlat Waziri, Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman also rejected the provincial council head’s claims and said that Taliban had several times attacked military centers in Warduj but faced defeat.
mds/mud