US, Afghan attacks force Taliban to retreat from western city

HERAT, Afghanistan: Afghan commandos and US air attacks have driven the Taliban to the outskirts of Farah city, officials said yesterday, after a day-long battle to prevent the insurgents from seizing the western provincial capital.

The US carried out more drone strikes overnight and the Afghan army is still clearing the city, Afghan and Nato officials said.

Shops, offices and schools remain closed, with residents frightened to leave home after hours of heavy fighting.

“The Taliban have retreated from the city and positioned their forces in the outskirts,” provincial council member Dadullah Qani told AFP from Farah.

Fighting continued late into the night, he said. “The city is still closed as people are in fear.”

With internet and mobile networks patchy, casualty figures were difficult to verify.

Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said 11 soldiers have been killed. Previously he and Nato had said “dozens” of Taliban were killed in the fighting.

Farah provincial governor Abdul Basir Salangi and interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish gave far higher tolls. Danish said 300 Taliban had been killed, though Salangi said the 300 figure also included the wounded.

A spokesman for Nato’s Resolute Support mission said the fighting had been “subdued” overnight but was likely to pick up again.

“We conduct(ed) a number of additional drone strikes throughout the night and continue to enable the (Afghan military), who remain squarely in the lead,” Lt Col Martin O’Donnell told AFP.

“The 207th Corps commander is leading operations on the ground and the city remains in government control.”

Some insurgents are believed to be hiding inside residents’ homes, meaning the clearing operation could take some time. — AFP