Commander of the 215th Maiwand Military Corps’ third brigade has been killed in a Taliban ambush in southern Helmand province, an official said Monday.
Maj. Sher Mohammad and another soldier were killed and two other soldiers were wounded in the attack, an official of the corps told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The source, who wished not to be named, said the incident took place in southern region of Naad Ali district on Sunday night.
Maj. Sher Mohammad was heading to a security post which was under attack for reinforcement when Taliban ambushed his vehicle, the official said.
Helmand governor’s spokesman, Omar Zwak, confirmed the loss of the commander and two other soldiers, saying another two soldiers were wounded in the attack.
He said the Taliban also suffered heavy casualties in the battle that lasted almost two hours.
On the other hand, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said that the fighters besides inflicting casualties on Afghan forces in Nad Ali also killed seven soldiers and destroyed two military tanks in Marja district.
Elsewhere in the province, three Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed by an infiltrator at a security post on the Kanahar-Lashkargah highway on Sunday night.
Omar Zwak said the infiltrator managed to flee after the attack. There were five soldiers in the post and their commander had gone to another post when the incident happened, he said.