By Xinhua,
Kabul : Gun battle between government troops and militants in Afghanistan’s western Farah province left several insurgents including four of their commanders dead, a statement of Afghan Defense Ministry said Thursday.
“In the operation launched in Shiwan area of Balablok district in Farah province Wednesday several militants including their four commanders were killed,” the statement said.
Mullah Noor Ali, Mullah Baz Mohammad, Mullah Murad Uruzgani, Mullah Salam and Mullah Tor Helmandi were killed along with several of their men in the operation, it said.
The ministry statement said two Afghan soldiers were killed and three others sustained injuries during the operation.
The statement was released amid certain media reports on killing of 30 Taliban fighters in the same area on the same day.
However, Zahir Murat a defense ministry spokesman when approached declined to comment, saying his office has not received such report so far.
“Whenever we receive any report on the subject we would inform the press through a press release,” Murat said.
Police officials in Farah province when reached by Xinhua made no comment.
Increasing insurgency and conflicts in the post-Taliban Afghanistan killed 8,000 people last year, a record high since 2001.