Eight civilians killed in clashes, airstrikes in Afghanistan

TALUQAN: At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and eight others wounded during armed clashes and airstrikes in northern Takhar province Wednesday night, a local official said on Thursday.

"The clashes erupted between security forces and Taliban terrorists in Hazara Qeshlaq, an area between Baharak district and provincial capital Taluqan city during Tuesday night. The Afghan Air Force also supported security forces during the fightings," provincial government spokesman Mohammad Jawad Hajri told Xinhua.

Several Taliban terrorists were also dead or wounded, he added.

The area has been the scene of heavy clashes between government soldiers and Taliban terrorists in recent days. On Tuesday night, at least 28 security forces, including a senior provincial police official, and several terrorists were killed and many people from two sides wounded in Baharak.

Local villagers claimed that security forces attacked terrorists' position Wednesday night, to avenge the loss of security forces in the village. They said 10 civilians were killed and eight wounded during Wednesday night's airstrikes.

In the meantime, spokesman Hajri accused terrorists of using civilians as human shields and attacking security forces from villagers' houses.

Earlier on Thursday morning, five Taliban terrorists were killed and five terrorists and two soldiers were wounded after government security forces repelled a Taliban attack on a checkpoint in neighbouring Khwaja Ghar district, district chief Mohammad Omar told Xinhua.

Fighting rages across Afghanistan as Taliban terrorists have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their position as peace talks between the Afghan government delegation and Taliban representatives were underway in Doha, capital of Qatar.