Two Chinese militants among seven killed in anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan
Mission led by Afghan National Army’s 209th Shaheen Corp took place in Badakhshan province, close to China border
Two Chinese militants were killed in an operation by Afghan military forces in the country’s northeast on Friday, which left at least seven people dead and 13 injured, according to local media reports.
The operation took place in Afghanistan’s remote Badakhshan province, a volatile area close to the border with China that is known for anti-government insurgency activities, the Kabul-based agency Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
The Afghan National Army’s 209th Shaheen Corps confirmed the casualties, and identified one of those killed as a man named Mustafa, who was the deputy leader of a Chinese militant group, the report said.
It did not name the group or the other Chinese national.
The Afghan government said earlier there were as many as 21 militant groups operating in Afghanistan, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a separatist organisation formed by members of China’s Uygur ethnic minority.