(Last Updated On: July 2, 2019)

The Qushtepah district of northern Jawzjan province collapsed to the Taliban militants late on Monday night, a provincial council member claimed.

Mohammad Sharif, a secretary for the provincial council told Ariana News that the insurgents captured the district after several hours of heavy clashes with the Afghan security forces at around 10 pm on Monday.

At least 50 Afghan forces were killed and 150 others including army soldiers and security forces were surrendered to the militants after the district fell to the hand of Taliban, Sharif said.

Meanwhile, security officials said that their connections have been cut off with the district since last night.

However, the Taliban in a statement claimed that their fighters have captured the district, as a result, 10 soldiers have been killed, 25 injured and 78 others were detained by the militants. </s> KABUL: The Taliban group stormed the Afghan security and defense forces outposts in Qush Tapa district of northern Jawzjan province, where there is conflicting reports over death casualties of the security forces.

Ministry of Defense in a statement said the Taliban fighters were pushed back from the district and rejected the district was fallen to the control of the Taliban.

30 Taliban insurgents, including their commanders, were killed and 10 others were wounded, the statement added.

However, Mohammad Sharif, secretary of the provincial council, said that the district was overrun by the Taliban group during which 150 Afghan soldiers were captured and 50 others were killed.

“The Taliban took control of Qush Tapa district at 10 P.M. local time,” said Mohammad Sharif.

Wahid Wajdan, Jawzjan police chief has confirmed that the contacts with local officials of Qush Tapa district has been cut off. “I neither confirm nor reject the fall of the district at this time.”

On the other hand, the Taliban group told reporters in a message that insurgents took control of the district, killing 10 security forces, and capturing 78 other security forces. The clashes also wounded 25 security forces, according to the Taliban.

Qush Tapa is 70 Km away from the provincial capital of Jawzjan province and the Taliban group were highly active in the province. </s> Afghan government officials said on Thursday that the Taliban killed 30 policemen in an attack in Farah province late on Wednesday, AP reported. Provincial council member Dadullah Qani said the Taliban attacked the police outpost in the Khaki Safed district on Wednesday night, and the assault continued for four hours.

Lawmaker Samiullah Samim said in Kabul that Farah District Police Commander Abdul Jabhar was among those killed in the attack.

ToloNews reported that local officials in Farah province said the Taliban captured three checkposts in Shewan, Garani and Aab Khormay areas of Bala Blook district. Security forces also confirmed casualties, but did not assign a number.

Mohibullah, a spokesperson for Jabhar added that there were clashes in Peshtkoh district overnight, in which both Taliban militants and security force personnel were killed.

Meanwhile, at least nine Afghan Army soldiers and five Taliban militants were killed during clashes in Sayedabad district of Maidan Wardak province on Wednesday, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. Hekmat Durani, the spokesperson for the provincial governor, said that Taliban insurgents stormed a security post in Mangali area of the district and temporarily captured it, but were repelled. </s> Afghan officials say 10 police officers and the wife of a police commander have been killed in an attack in the northern province of Zawzjan.

Mohammad Reza Ghafori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the officers were ambushed on February 24 as they were coming out of a mosque in the Darzab district.

A local police commander was among the dead and his wife was also killed when she rushed to the scene, Ghafori added.

Brigadier General Rahmatullah Turkistani, the provincial police chief, said four militants were killed and six others wounded in retaliatory firing.

Ghafori blamed the attack on Islamic State (IS) militants, but the Taliban claimed responsibility.

IS-linked militants have been active in eastern Afghanistan, but have recently begun operating in the north of the country as well. The Taliban frequently target officials and security forces across Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and Pajhwok
Taliban militants overran the Qush Tepa district of Jowzjan Province, resulting in the deaths of over 50 Afghan soldiers. Many others were captured.