9 militants killed, 2 soldiers wounded in water dam attack in Afghanistan

At least nine militants were killed, two Afghan security force members and five militants wounded during a predawn clash in eastern Paktia province on Saturday, an army source confirmed. “Armed militants stormed Machalgho Water Dam security posts in Sayyed Karam district, the security force manning the site of the dam responded to the attackers, killing nine militants and five others,” Aimal Mohmmand from army’s 203 Thandar Corps told Xinhua.

Two injured security force members were evacuated to a hospital in an army camp and the militants who came from a nearby mountain also shifted their casualties, the source said. The province has been the scene of clashes and attacks. On Thursday, five civilians were killed and 46 people mostly civilians were wounded in a Taliban suicide truck bomb blast in provincial capital Gardez city.

The Taliban militant group has not made comments on the report so far. The Taliban-led violence continues in Afghanistan even after a peace deal was signed between the United States and the Taliban in Doha of Qatar as well as a joint declaration issued by the U.S. side and the Afghan government in February.

Sporadic clashes and fighting occur in countryside as Taliban militants have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions.