KABUL: The United Nations says it is closely monitoring fighting in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province amid growing concerns over the safety of civilians caught in clashes between Taliban forces and fighters loyal to dissident commander Juma Khan Fateh.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told the media that it did not yet have verified information about civilians in areas affected by the fighting.
UNAMA said it would provide further updates once reliable information became available.
Clashes between Taliban forces and Fateh’s fighters have continued in Nusay district since Tuesday, with reports of casualties, arrests and house-to-house searches emerging from the area.
Concerns over civilians
Fighting has intensified around Nusay, a mountainous district bordering Tajikistan, raising concerns that violence could affect communities on both sides of the frontier.
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Tajikistan confirmed that a 21-year-old woman was killed on Thursday after gunfire from the Afghan side of the border struck her home in the country’s Darvoz district.
Some Taliban air force pilots had been pressured to conduct air strikes on residential areas.
The continuing clashes come amid reports of increased security measures and communications restrictions in Nusay, making independent assessment of conditions increasingly difficult.
