kabul: Afghan security forces have launched an operation against militants in an eastern province seen as a rear base for the Pakistani Taliban which carried out a school massacre last week, officials said yesterday.
Pakistan’s army chief met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul in the aftermath of the school attack in the Pakistani city of Peshawar which killed 149 people, mainly children.
The army chief sought Ghani’s support in defeating the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, which borders Pakistan’s restive tribal areas. Kunar has been the scene of fierce fighting between local forces and the Afghan Taliban for the past 10 days.
“Afghan security forces have launched a joint anti-militant operations in several parts of Dangam district of Kunar province,” Dawlat Waziri, deputy defence ministry spokesman, said.
“So far in the operation, 21 armed insurgents have been killed and 33 others wounded,” Waziri said, adding that seven security personnel were wounded.AFP
