Taliban captures district in south Afghanistan

Taliban militants have occupied a district in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, officials confirmed.

Taliban militants have occupied a district in Kandahar province of southern Afghanistan, officials confirmed on Tuesday, Xinhua reports.

HT Image

A purported Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said Taliban fighters overran Mianashin district Monday night after inflicting casualties on local police.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Zamarai Bashari said Afghan forces had retreated from the district, but would launch an operation to regain it soon.

Meanwhile, police chief in Kandahar Asmatullah Alizai termed the retreat "a tactical vacation".

Kandahar has been a hotbed of Taliban militants, who clash with government and foreign forces frequently.