Scores Killed as Afghan Fighting Spreads to Several Provinces

Another weekend in Afghanistan saw heavy fighting spreading to several provinces around both the north and south. Scores of fighters from both the military and Taliban were reported killed, and reports on who had the advantage were conflicting.

The Afghan Defense Ministry claimed 250 Taliban killed in 24 hours, which is unconfirmed and seems extremely high given the scale of the fighting. The Taliban hasn’t commented on specifically on death tolls so far.

Ghazni and Baghlan Provinces seem to be the heaviest sites of fighting, with Afghan Army officials claiming progress in both, saying they are on the offensive. Locals in Ghazni, however, disputed this, saying several checkpoints had fallen to the Taliban in the area.

Earlier in the week, the Taliban had seized parts of Baghlan Province as well. It’s not clear who controls how much territory at any given time, but the government has repeatedly tried to make up for losses by claiming huge death tolls.