Heavy fighting broke out on Sunday evening and raged into Monday morning in several areas across Afghanistan. Afghan forces fought Taliban fighters in the Uruzgan, Badghis, and Takhar Provinces, with over 40 killed.



Exactly details of the individual skirmishes are often in dispute, with the Taliban and the government both generally claiming to have gotten the better of the other side. The military is claiming almost everyone killed was Taliban, and only four Afghan soldiers were slain.



Other reports, particularly on the fighting overnight in Badghis, strongly contradict this, with provincial officials saying at least 20 Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack there. They also reported 28 soldiers were captured by the Taliban.



By contrast, the national government statement on Badghis claimed 14 killed, 10 Taliban and four soldiers. It made no mention of anyone being captured. The Taliban statement confirmed they were behind the attack, but did not elaborate on wiping out an entire company of Afghan Army soldiers.

Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz