Clearance operation of Arghanj Khwa district in Badakhshan ended Tuesday morning and it was retaken from the Taliban militants, the 209 Shaheen Military Corps said in a statement on Tuesday.
The district reportedly fell to the Taliban last week on Saturday but the Ministry of Interior Affairs’ spokesman Nusrat Rahimi said it was planned retreatment to prevent casualties.
According to the statement, at least 14 Taliban militants were killed and seven others were wounded in the operation.
The clearance operation was led by Army forces and after 24 hours of clash with the Taliban the district wad retaken from the Taliban, the statement added.
Last week, Badakhshan residents criticized government and the security forces for the fall of Arghanj Khwa district to the Taliban.
“The district has fallen to the Taliban due to the ‘negligence’ of the central and provincial government,” said a resident of Badakhshan.
Arghanj Khwa is located in the vicinity of Faizabad city, the provincial capital, and is a connecting point between the center of the province and 10 other districts.
Arghanj Khwa is the first district of Badakhshan fallen to the Taliban in 2019. However, in 2018, three districts of the province – Kohistan, Warduj and Yumgan – had fallen to the Taliban.
