Key Taliban Leaders Killed in Kunduz Airstrike: 209 Shaheen Corps
The national army officials say military helicopters bombed a religious gathering in the northern province of Kunduz on Monday, which Taliban suffered heavy casualties, according to local officials.
The national army officials say military helicopters bombed a religious gathering in the northern province of Kunduz on Monday, which Taliban suffered heavy casualties, according to local officials.
The 209 Shaheen Corps in northern part of the country said in a statement the top Taliban leaders have suffered heavy casualties during the air strike.
The airstrike was carried out at around 11:20 am local time in the vicinity of Dasht-e-Archi district.
The statement further added that a large gathering of the top Taliban leaders was targeted in Bajauri area of the district.
“A member of the Taliban’s Quetta Council Qari Biryan was killed along with several others in the airstrike,” the statement added.
According to the statement, other Taliban leaders killed in the airstrike have been identified as Qari Hamidullah Taliban’s military commission chief for Kunduz, Mawlavi Shahidullah, a member of the military commission of the Taliban, Mawlavi Mumtaz, one of the instructors of the Red Unit of Taliban. Other Taliban leaders have been identified as Qari Emad and Abdul Malik who were killed along with at least 17 other members of the red unit.
According to the source, 13 terrorists including Mawlawi Naser and Dost M. Hejran – Taliban leader – were also killed in the attack.
The source also added that at least 11 Taliban insurgents were also wounded during the airstrike.
In the meantime, the Taliban group claims that only ordinary civilians have been killed in the airstrike that targeted a religious seminary.
A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the death toll was far higher than the official figure and that no insurgents had been present at the gathering, which was strictly religious in nature.
The district of Dasht-e-Archi is located 80 km north of Kunduz and is considered one of the insecure districts of this province.
UNAMA meanwhile said it actively looking in to disturbing reports of serious harm to civilians yesterday from airstrike at DashtiArchi, Kunduz.
