Afghan fighting leaves scores of Taliban fighters dead

KABUL: Fighting between Afghan government forces and the Taliban has left more than 100 insurgents dead in the past 24 hours, the defence ministry said Sunday, as the US military pressed on with its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Taliban and government forces clashed across several provinces, including in the former insurgent bastion of Kandahar where the US military carried out a “precision strike” Saturday as it formally began the final troop pullout. Another 52 Taliban fighters were injured in the clashes, the ministry said in a statement, without giving details of any casualties suffered by government forces.

The Taliban did not offer any comment on the fighting, but both sides are known to exaggerate casualties inflicted on the other. Fighting on the ground has continued unabated in recent months as peace efforts aimed at ending the 20-year conflict have faltered. The US military formally began withdrawing its remaining 2,500 troops from the violence-wracked country Saturday, as ordered by President Joe Biden.