Dozens of Taliban killed in battle for Sangin: Afghan Interior Ministry

PanARMENIAN.Net - A local Taliban commander and 50 fighters have been killed in overnight fighting in Sangin in Helmand province, the Afghan interior ministry says, according to BBC News.

Government forces have been trying to recapture the area from the Taliban, who say they control the district.

Afghan officials say they have retaken key buildings in a counter-attack, and the U.S. has carried out air strikes.

The ministry named the dead commander as Mullah Nasir, a confidant of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

Strategically located, and a centre for opium production, Sangin would be a significant gain for the Taliban.

Fighting around the town escalated this week and by Wednesday, December 23, the militants said they had captured all of Sangin, pinning down government troops in an army barracks.

This was denied by the Afghan defense ministry, who said fighting was continuing and that reinforcements had been sent.

The interior ministry said the Afghan army and police commandos launched an operation late on Wednesday, leading to the deaths of the Taliban commander and his fighters.

Several local officials said the district governor's office and police headquarters in Sangin's centre had been retaken. "Last night fresh forces arrived, they provided ammunitions and food to forces at the battalion and launched a counterattack," Helmand senator Hashim Alokozai said.

"They recaptured the district and police HQ and the wounded were evacuated. We hope they will make further progress today."