Afghan, US Operations Kill at Least 57 Taliban Across Afghanistan

Main commando operation attempted to retake Badghis Province district

A series of operations against Taliban targets across Afghanistan have killed at least 57 fighters, according to various statements from the Afghan Special Operations Forces and the US-led coalition.

The largest single incident was an Afghan commando operation in Qal’ah-e Now District, in Badghis Province. 39 Taliban were reported killed in “clearance operations,” and 30 IEDs were reported destroyed.

Elsewhere, Afghan forces killed two Taliban in Kandahar and another in Wardark Province. They also raided a suspected Taliban prison in Ghazni, though no one was there. Officials say they believe the prison was moved somewhere else.

US and coalition airstrikes killed a further 15 Taliban, with 10 of them reported killed in a “self defense” strike, and 5 others slain in strikes in Uruzgan Province. There were no further details on these strikes, and the Taliban has not commented on the deaths.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.