US launches drone strikes in northern Afghanistan, says defence official

Washington [US], June 26 (ANI): The United States has launched two drone strikes against Taliban positions in northern Afghanistan, confirmed a US defence official on Friday (local time).

The strikes came hours before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was set to meet President Joe Biden at the White House in the afternoon.

An unknown number of Taliban fighters were killed in Baghlan and Kunduz provinces, where the strikes took place, Fox News reported.

The US Defence Ministry has not commented on the airstrikes, but the ministry in a statement said that the Afghan Air Force targeted Taliban positions in Imam Sahib, Khan Abad and Gor Tapa districts in the northern province of Kunduz.

The ministry said that 35 Taliban fighters were killed in the Afghan forces airstrikes in Kunduz, including three key commanders of the Taliban – Qari Jawad Hashemi, Haidari and Mawlawi Qadir, the Fox News further reported.

This comes as Afghan forces retook the control of seven districts from the Taliban in three provinces on Thursday (local time).

The districts include Andkhoi and Khan Chahar Bagh in Faryab, Khinjan and Doshi in Baghlan, and Ahmad Aba, Mirzaka and Sayed Karam in Paktia.

Ghani on Friday (local time) and chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah have met Biden at the White House.

This meet comes amid a dramatic surge in violence in Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of US troops. Taliban has increased its spring offensive and attempted to siege more areas.

Earlier, Biden announced that the US will start its final withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan on May 1 and complete its pullout ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. (ANI)