Khost, Pakistan – Pakistani Security Forces suffered casualties in a clash against Taliban sympathizers early Sunday (12th of February). The clashes occurred as the Pakistani forces were conducting a standard patrol in the Shamit area, Gurbaz district, S.E. Khost province, near the Durand Line.
During the encounter the Pakistani forces suffered an unspecified number of casualties, and a further 20 wounded in action, according to official reports. The Taliban Commander of the area, Haji Daud, claimed that his forces killed 12 Pakistani soldiers, and wounded 5 others. According to the Taliban Commander the total number of Pakistani soldiers engaged in the conflict was 18. The Taliban confirmed that their forces lost 1 person, and 4 others were injured.
The area borders into Afghanistan, and it is not uncommon for Pakistani forces to enter Afghanistan during these patrols. The area around the border area is largely under the control of the Taliban militia movement.
“There is heavy fighting still ongoing between the Taliban and our forces but those places that were captured by the Taliban yesterday have been taken back,” according to Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand Province.
The Taliban have been on an offensive in recent weeks. The Afghan Government has stated that they are open to unconditional peace negotiations with the Taliban. Part of the intended negotiations is to create safe zones for civilians to live, where militia groups cannot operate.
“We are in contact with the Qatar office and also a number of influential individual Taliban leaders and commanders,” stated Omar Zakhilwal, the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad, Pakistan, in late January. Mr. Zakhilwal stated also at the same time that formal negotiations are yet to begin.
Taliban officials have in turn stated that negotiations can only take place once UN sanctions on their senior leaders have been lifted, and detained members in Afghanistan have been released.
As part of the offensive, Taliban forces have captured several government checkpoints in recent weeks. The offensive is the strongest in the Helmand Province, where the Taliban have claimed the deaths of over 150 government personnel in recent weeks. The Afghan government in turn claims forces have killed at least 25 Taliban, and wounded “at least twice as many.”
The US-led international coalition forces saw heavy battles in the Helmand province since entry into Afghanistan in 2001. In recent years, the downwinding of US forces has resulted in Taliban forces retaking large parts of the province. Since the beginning of 2017, the coalition has begun to redeploy hundreds of troops to the province with a goal to train and advise Afghan forces, as well as provide occasional air support.
In mid January, the Taliban militia called upon the new US administration to withdraw all US forces from Afghan soil in a public statement. The statement also stated that the US had accomplished little to nothing in the 15 years it had been present in Afghanistan, “except for bloodshed and destruction.” At the time of this writing, the US has a troop presence of about 8,400 as part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
The US administration is yet to make an official response to the Taliban statement.
John Sjoholm, Middle East Bureau Chief, Lima Charlie News
Follow John on Twitter @JohnSjoholmLC
Lima Charlie provides global news, insight & analysis by military veterans and service members Worldwide.
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