Army officials in Kunduz said strategic locations in Dasht-e-Archi district – in the south of the province – have been cleared of Taliban and that local residents are slowly returning to their normal lives.
Hamid Saifi, commander of the second battalion of the first regiment in Kunduz, said Tapa-e-Muhibullah and Se Rahi Mohammad Alam were the two main strongholds of the Taliban in Dasht-e-Archi district over the past two years. He said the areas are now under the control of the security forces and that many routes into the area have been closed by soldiers.
“We retook the Se Rahi Mohammad Alam and Tapa-e-Mohibullah areas. We call on government and aid organizations to help those civilians who are living in poverty and are living in areas between the two sides. They need emergency aid,” he said.
“The battle went in to other areas. We want peace in our region,” said Abdullah, a resident of the district.
“We have been provided with a bigger space for our shop and need things as the battle has moved on from our area. We want the areas to be maintained after they have been cleared of militants now,” said Mohammad, a shopkeeper in Dasht-e-Archi.
Soldiers said the military operation continues in order to remove all threats against civilians in the district.