Afghans, Taliban battling for turf

Air raids, firefights put civilians at risk

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan air force carried out more airstrikes Thursday against Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan, as the insurgent force made additional gains in the country’s north.

A Defense Ministry statement said airstrikes were carried out across the country, including in the southern Helmand province, where the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, is being fiercely contested. The Taliban control nine of the city’s 10 police districts.

Residents of Lashkar Gah reported heavy bombing near the government radio and television station, which are under Taliban control.

Dr. Sher Ali Shaker, head of Helmand’s public health department, said that in the past 24 hours at least three civilians were killed and 40 more including women and children were wounded during battles in Lashkar Gah city.

In northern Afghanistan, the Taliban took control of most of the provincial capital, Sar-e-Pul, said the head of its council, Mohammad Noor Rahmani.

Meanwhile, Jawzjan province in the north remains under a three-month Taliban attack, with most of it’s districts having surrendered without a fight. The stronghold of Rashid Dostum, an Uzbek warlord, has lost eight out of 10 districts to the insurgents, who continue to advance on the capital, Shibirghan city.

Dostum returned to Afghanistan on Wednesday and plans to lead the fight in Shibirghan after an agreement with President Ashraf Ghani, his spokesman Ehsan Nero said.

In the west, the Taliban attacked seven parts of Herat city but were defeated, said Jelani Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

Farhad said three Afghan security personnel were killed and four wounded in the firefights, while dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in the battles Wednesday night.

Dr. Arif Jalali of Herat Hospital said one civilian was killed and 12 were wounded in fighting in Heart city over the past 24 hours.

The Taliban onslaught seems to have intensified with the start of the final withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops in late April. Afghan security forces and government troops have retaliated with increasing airstrikes, aided by the United States.