Death Toll in Recent Clashes With Taliban in Afghanistan Rises to 21 – Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The number of people killed in overnight clashes between the Afghan security forces and Taliban militants in Afghanistan’s northwestern province of Badghis increased to 21 on Monday, Xinhua reported, citing authorities.

The Xinhua news agency reported that 21 Afghan soldiers and police personnel had fallen victims of the clashes.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that the skirmish had broken out after the militants attacked police and army posts in the province’s southern district of Qadis. The number of victims stood at 13.

READ MORE: Blast in Northern Afghanistan Leaves 4 Women, 2 Children Dead — Reports

The news comes amid a partial withdrawal of the US troops from the country, announced by President Donald Trump. According to Military.com news portal, 7,000 out of 14,000 US troops to leave the country, however, the direct-action Special Operations Forces would continue to strike missions against the Taliban militants and the Daesh* terror group.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia