The Taliban shadow district chief for Faryab’s Sherin Tagab district has been killed in a joint Afghan-NATO Forces airstrike, local officials said.

A spokesperson for Faryab police, Abdul Karim Yourish told Reporterly, “based on intelligence information, the airstrike hit a Hilux vehicle carrying Taliban shadow district chief on Sunday at around 08:00 AM”.
The Taliban shadow district chief was targeted while he was traveling from Rubat village to Shashpor village of Dawlad Abad district, he stated.

Abdul Karim Yourish added that 5 insurgents including Taliban’s shadow governor for Sherin Tagab district, Noor Agha Wasiq, Mullah Shah Wali alias as Saadat, charity collector of the group and Mullah Hayatullah, a commander of Taliban red unit were killed in the raid.

Local officials in Nangarhar province said that 95% of Achin district has been cleared of IS-K terrorists.

“As a result of joint security operation in Achin district, 95 percent of the district has been cleared of IS-K terrorists and hundreds of embedded landmines have been discovered and defused,” Nangarhar press office in a statement on Sunday said.

The statement noted that following the operation, displaced families are ready to return to their original areas.
Quoting the commander of 4th brigade of Army in Nangarhar, the statement said that security forces’ technical team is currently working to detect and neutralize the mines and that the operation will continue until the remaining areas of Achin district are fully wiped out of the IS-K terrorists.

The Salang Pass sees the heavy and wet nature of its first snow of the season in early September as Kabul residents are now dealing with a wintery weather.

According to Salang Pass Maintenance Directorate, as of Sunday morning, about 75 centimeters of snow had fallen on the Salang Pass; A major mountain pass connecting northern Afghanistan with Parwan Province, with onward connections to Kabul Province and southern Afghanistan.

Travel is expected to be difficult regardless of how much precipitation falls as travelers advised to use chains while travelling on the highway.

The early- autumn snowfall may be a sign of what to expect in the months ahead.

The officials of Independent Election Commission (IEC) said that the result sheets of 21 provinces have been sent to National Tally Center and the results of 10 have been reviewed.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, IEC Commissioner Awrang zib said, “Electoral materials and biometric devices have reached at the IEC central office in Kabul from all 34 provinces without any issues”.

He noted that the results sheets of 21 provinces sent to National Tally Center of which the results of 10 provinces including Kabul, Kapisa, Parwan, Wardak, Nangarhar, Laghman, Panjsher, Khost and Uruzgan have been examined.

According to Awrang Zib, the results of these provinces are more than 10,000 sheets, the majority of which have gone through review, refining and copying process and about 7,000 are ready for registration at National Tally Center.

IEC commissioner stated that about 22,000 digital sheets have been processed at the Digital Form Registration Center.

According to IEC calendar, the preliminary results of the presidential election will be announced on 19 October and the final results on 28 October this year.

An Afghan passenger, travelling from Kabul to New Delhi, was intercepted by the Indian customs officers at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The passenger was concealing two gold bars weighing 1.3 kg in his sandals when he was caught by customs officials.

According to a statement by India’s Office Of The Commissioner of Customs, “The customs officers recovered two cut pieces of gold bars collectively weighing 1315 grams under section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, on October 4, 2019.”

The Afghan passenger has been placed under arrest in terms of Section 104 of the Customs Act, it said.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has said that Afghan security forces have launched 42 airstrikes on Taliban hideouts during operations in 18 provinces of the country.

“At least 346 Taliban insurgents have been killed and 99 others wounded during the operations,” MoD said in a statement.

Deputy spokesman of MoD, Fawad Aman has said that these operations have been conducted in Ghazni, Ghor, Kabul, Nangarhar, Badakhshan, Maidan Wardak, Zabul, Herat, Uruzgan, Balkh, Faryab, Takhar, Logar, Khost, Laghman, Helmand and Kapisa provinces that had good achievements.

This comes as the local officials added that the U.S. forces also conducted airstrikes in support of the Afghan forces in Badghis province which killed and wounded more than 70 Taliban militants.

At least 75 Taliban insurgents have been killed and injured in an airstrike by Resolute Support Forces in Baghlan province, local officials said.

Badghis provincial press office in a statement on Sunday said that 42 Taliban insurgents were killed and 35 others injured as a result of airstrike carried out by Resolute Support Forces at around 11:00 MP Saturday in Baghak village in vicinity of Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province.

Taliban insurgents were targeted while they were attacking police outposts in the village, the statement noted.

The statement said that 6 night visions and dozens of rifles were destroyed in the operation.

Civilians have not suffered any causalities in the raid, the statement added.

Local officials said that a Haqqani network member has been killed in an airstrike in Nangarhar province.
The Ghazni press office in a statement on Sunday said, “Khuraye Habibullah alias as Khalid a famous Taliban commander in Qarabagh district who was also a prominent member of Haqqani network was killed in Nangarhar”.

The statement added that this individual was original resident of Gamishak village of Qarabagh district who had recently gone to Jalalabad.

Ghazni is one of the most insecure provinces in the country where Taliban group including Haqqani network and its foreign members have widespread presence.

At least 43 residents of khwaja Omari district of Ghazni province have been released by Taliban group, local officials said.

The Ghazni provincial governor office in a statement said, “43 residents of Deh Haji village of Khwaja Omari district who were abducted by Taliban two days ago were released on Saturday evening”.

The individuals were released following mediation by tribal elders, the statement noted.

The statement did not say about the nature of abduction of the individuals by Taliban group.

But Khwaja Omari district chief, Ahmad Zia Yaqubi said that these people were kidnapped because they prevented Taliban entry into the village on the polling day.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced that polling materials and Biometric devices of 34 provinces have reached in Kabul.

IEC in a statement on Sunday said, “The result sheets and biometric materials have safely arrived in IEC central office in Kabul”.

The materials will be opened in the presence of national and international observers and then send to National Tally Center for processing, IEC noted.

IEC stated that the result sheets of eight provinces have been sent to National Tally Center, and after a series of steps such as scanning and filtration about 6,000 sheets are ready to be inserted into the system.

This comes as IEC Commissioner Mawlana Abdullah yesterday said that the sensitive election materials of 22 provinces have arrived in Kabul and the remaining 11 provinces’ electoral materials will arrive in Kabul by the end of day (Saturday).

The security forces have detected and defused two Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in the capital Kabul, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said.

The spokesperson of MoI, Nasrat Rahimi has declared that the two IEDs were discovered by security forces from Kart-e Naw area of Kabul at 20:40PM on Saturday.

Rahimi noted that the militants planted the IEDs to target the security forces.

In the mean time, Kabul Police in a statement said that another IED was detected in Tara Khel village of Deh-e Sabz on Saturday.

Afghan National and Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) fully wiped out Taliban insurgents from Khwaja Ghar district of Takhar province, security officials said.

Ministry of Defense (MoD) in a statement late Saturday said,” as a result of joint clearance operation of ANDSF backed up with Air Force, Khwaja Ghar district was fully cleared of Taliban insurgents”.

MoD noted that Taliban group suffered heavy causalities in the operation.

Heavy and light weapons and a large number of ammunition and several vehicles were seized by the forces during the operation , MoD said.

This comes as Baharak district of Takhar was cleared of insurgents yesterday and 18 Taliban insurgents including a group leader were killed in the operation.