Afghan Clashes Kill 30 Militants, Official Warns of ISIL Emergence
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Amid reports of the emergence of the terror group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, clash with militants have left 30 militants dead since Friday, deputy to provincial governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi said Saturday.
"The security forces launched counter-offensive in Ajristan district Friday and so far 30 militants have been killed," Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told Xinhua.
He said four of the fleeing militants had been killed by locals when the Taliban fighters were retreating to their hideouts.
The operation took place in the wake of Taliban advance to capture Ajristan district.
Ahmadi said the operations will continue till the eviction of militants from Ajristan and adjoining areas.
The counter-offensive in Ajristan was launched in the wake of massive Taliban attack to the mountainous district a week ago, during which several people including women and children had been killed by the armed militants.
The advancing militants, said Ahmadi, only in Akhundkhil village had killed 15 members of police personnel after capturing the village besides beheading several government employees there.
The militants had killed and injured more than 100 people during clash over the past one week, Ahmadi said.
Ahmadi said the militants had set on fire around 200 houses.
Meanwhile, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, in a statement posted on the outfit's website, confirmed the clash in Ajristan but rejected killing innocent people and burning the houses, insisted the militants just had killed security personnel.
Clash in the mountainous Ajiristan district of Ghazni province is escalating amid reports of emergence of the (ISIL) in the southern Ghazni province.
"The extremist Taliban militants claimed having affiliation with the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have hoisted the black flags of IS in some districts and written slogans on the walls in IS support," a local newspaper the Daily Wahdat writes in its Saturday edition.
"The extremist Taliban insurgents who are supporting IS have blocked the communication roads in some districts obviously are busy in organizing their fighters," the paper quoted Mohammad Ali Ahmadi as saying.
