Taliban fighters during Operation al-Khandagh
On April 29, the Taliban captured dozens of checkpoints and military positions of the Afghan Army and Police in a coordinated attack in the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, Nangarhar and Baghlan, according to the Taliban news agency Voice of Jihad.
The Voice of Jihad said that 42 Afghan soldiers and policemen had been killed and dozens other had been injured.
The movement’s media wing also reported that a suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) had targeted a position of the Afghan Army in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province, killing more than 30 soldiers and injuring dozens others.
Moreover, the Taliban claimed that its fighters had repelled a large attack by the Afghan Army and Police on their positions around the capital of Ghazni province on April 27. According to the Voice of Jihad, Taliban fighters had killed 15 Afghan soldiers and had destroyed 6 vehicles belonging to the army.
These attacks were a part of the Taliban’s spring offensive, codenamed “Operation al-Khandagh,” which was launched on April 25 in response to Washington’s decision to increase the US military presence in the war-torn country.
Although the Taliban has not captured any key area yet, the new offensive echoes its capabilities of launching coordinated attacks across the country and delivering notable blows to the Afghan military and its US supporters.
