Azimi added that twelve Afghan army soldiers were killed during the operation.
Security in Afghanistan has become fragile following the withdrawal of NATO forces in December 2014 and an ensuing spring offensive by militants, including the Taliban and the Islamic State (ISIL).
US-led NATO combat forces withdrew from Afghanistan in December 2014 after a 14-year occupation. On January 2, 2015, combat operations in the country gave way to a US training and support mission for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), dubbed Resolute Support.
A series of terrorist attacks across the country have claimed the lives of several hundreds of people in 2015. On July 7, peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government began in Pakistan. The second round of negotiations, scheduled for July 31, has been suspended in view of the news of Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s death.
