An airstrike launched by Afghan Air Force late on Monday killed 14 Taliban militants from the Kunduz province, local police said on Tuesday. The attack was launched against the hideout of the Taliban militants in Qurlaq, an area in the Archi district of Kunduz, Xinhua news agency said, citing the provincial police in a statement.
Those among the killed militants were Ezatullah, one of the key local commanders and two of his close subordinates, according to the statement. The airstrikes that happened across the country targeted 5 provinces and killed 19 militants according to the report by Khaama Press News Agency.
The slain militants were involved in various anti-government activities leading to the destruction of the district office building, military compound, and other public facilities, the statement said.
Taliban has had a strong control in the Kunduz province and controls several of the districts. The region has been strategically important and the provincial capital had fallen into the hands of the Taliban briefly during 2015. The NATO-backed offensive was able to make the group withdraw.
The province has faced various attacks over the past few months. The civilian population has also been subjected to violence. The strategic placement of the region of Kunduz, which makes it easier to access the northern part of Afghanistan and the capital city of Kabul, has made it a target of the Taliban forces for a few years.
The Afghan security forces have been increasing the operations in the Northern region since the growing activity of the Taliban militants in the countryside. Government forces have launched clean-up operations covering the various district of the Kunduz province to clear the region of insurgents. The militant group has not made any comment so far.
