KABUL: Five Taliban fighters were killed in clashes in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, the anti-Taliban Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed on Wednesday, saying it had repelled an assault by Taliban forces before launching a series of counterattacks.
According to a statement issued by the AFF, the fighting erupted in the Zebak district of Badakhshan on Wednesday afternoon and continued for approximately four hours.
The group alleged that Taliban forces initiated the confrontation by attacking its positions.
It said its fighters successfully resisted the assault before responding with coordinated counterattacks from multiple directions, employing both light and heavy weapons.
The AFF said its preliminary assessment of the battlefield indicated that five Taliban fighters were killed and 11 others wounded during the engagement.
It further claimed that none of its own fighters suffered casualties and that it retained full control of its positions following the clashes. The Taliban had not issued any official statement or responded to the AFF’s claims by the time of publication.
The AFF has maintained an armed campaign against the Taliban since its formation, frequently announcing attacks on Taliban positions, patrols and checkpoints across northern and northeastern Afghanistan.
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In recent months, it has claimed responsibility for a series of operations in Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan and Kabul, saying that dozens of Taliban fighters were killed or wounded.
Earlier on July 28, the National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan claimed its fighters carried out two separate operations against Taliban regime positions in the western province of Herat and the north-eastern province of Badakhshan, saying several Taliban fighters were killed or wounded.
In a statement, the NRF said its fighters launched an organised operation against a Taliban regime checkpoint near Faris district in Herat province. The resistance group claimed one Taliban regime member was killed and three others wounded during the attack.
According to the NRF, its fighters also seized four weapons from the Taliban during the operation before withdrawing without suffering casualties. The group said no civilians were harmed.
