KABUL, Afghanistan
At least 30 Afghan soldiers have been killed, eight of them beheaded, and several others were abducted after militants stormed army checkpoints in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, Afghan officials said Monday.
According to Afghan sources, on Friday night, some 200 Afghan and foreign militants launched an assault on army and police checkpoints in Jurm district of northeastern Badakhshan province, bordering with China.
“More than 70 army troops were serving in different check posts in Jurm district, they were (either) killed, (or) abducted by militants or hid in the caves to survive,” Zalmai Mujaddadi, representative of Badakhshan province to Lower House told the Anadolu Agency. “Militants have beheaded eight soldiers in ISIS`s (Daesh's) style and have sent the bodies back to the government.”
“Locals have mediated and asked Taliban to do not behead rest of the captives,” he added.
Though the attack occurred on Friday, the officials exposed the details on Monday saying that the area had since been recaptured by Afghan security forces.
Mujaddadi added that, the check posts had been completely destroyed by insurgents while four armor vehicles, six police vans and several light and heavy weapons were taken.
Regarding the incident, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday gave vaguer numbers, citing 33 Afghan soldiers "martyred, wounded and missing."
"At least 20 insurgents were killed and 17 others were wounded,” the statement added.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying they had killed 49 soldiers and wounded 42 others, which was not confirmed by any independent sources.
The recent attack seems part of the Taliban`s spring offensive, as they increased their attacks since snow has melted in the mountainous country.
Reportedly, hundreds of Afghan and foreign militants have crossed the Afghan-Pakistan border after the Islamabad launched army operations against Taliban and al Qaeda operatives in its soil.
“Some 300 foreign militants, 50 of them along with their families, from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, eastern Turkistan (Xinjiang of China) and Kyrgyzstan are based in Badakhshan to destabilize Afghanistan and central Asian countries,” Mujaddadi added.
The attack in Badakhshan is a strong hit to morale for Afghan security forces, which assumed security responsibilities from NATO-led international forces in January 2015.
