Afghan air force raid kills 16 ‘militants’ in Helmand

KABUL: At least 16 “militants” were killed in an airstrike conducted in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, the country’s ministry of defence said on Tuesday.

The airstrike was carried out in the restive Greshk district of Helmand province, the ministry added as reported by Khaama Press. The anti-government militant groups have not commented regarding the report so far. In a separate development earlier on Tuesday, a commander of the loyalists of ISIL terrorist group was killed in an airstrike conducted in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

According to the local security officials the airstrike was carried out in the restive Achin district, leaving the ISIL commander dead along with three other militants. The officials further added that the drone strike was carried out in Abdul Khel district.

This comes in the wake of a local official’s statement on Monday that seven loyalists of the terror group were killed in a similar airstrike in Haska Mina district. This comes as at least 14 militants were killed and 11 others were seriously wounded in an airstrike conducted close to Lashkargah city, the provincial capital of southern Helmand province. Afghanistan’s ministry of defence said that the airstrike was conducted in the past 24 hours but did not elaborate. Helmand is among the volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in a number of its districts.