WATCH: Afghanistan Govt Carries Out Airstrike on Taliban Hideout, Kills 'Tens of Terrorists'

The Afghanistan government on Sunday shared a video which showed that a Taliban hideout was being destroyed in an airstrike carried out by the country’s defense forces. Sharing it on Twitter, the Ministry of Defence claimed that tens of terrorists were killed and wounded as a result of the airstrike.

According to the government, the airstrike was conducted on Saturday at Zherai district of Kandahar province.

The government has further stated that at least 250 such insurgents were killed while about 100 were injured in battles at several major cities over the past 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Taliban fighters struck Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan with at least three rockets overnight. The insurgent group’s spokesman said on Sunday that the aim was to thwart air strikes conducted by Afghan government forces.

“Kandahar airport was targeted by us because the enemy were using it as a centre to conduct air strikes against us,” Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, told Reuters.

Afghan government officials said the rocket attacks forced authorities to suspend all flights and that the runway was partially damaged. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the officials said.

For the unversed, US President Joe Biden said in April the United States troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of August, ending a 20-year foreign military presence. The Taliban in recent days has swept across Afghanistan, pushing back the Afghan military and taking over significant swaths of territory as the US nears the ends of its withdrawal.

Approximately 650 troops are set to remain in the country to secure the US diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, including the embassy, and to assist in securing Kabul’s international airport, which is a necessary facility for the movement of diplomats.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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