Afghan forces free 59 inmates from Taliban prison in Helmand

Afghan special forces freed 59 prisoners from a Taliban prison in Helmand, official said on Saturday, as government troops redoubled efforts to push back Taliban from Sangin district of Helmand.

“Fifty Nine people were taken captive by Taliban in Nahr Saraj and Grishk districts in Helmand province, last night Afghan special forces conducted an operation to free these people from jail and they were released,” Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said on Saturday,” 30 of the captives were soldiers and the rest were civilians.”

This is the second Taliban prison which have been broken by Afghan forces in Helmand.

Waziri also announced that a new division has been created in 209th Corps in the north to avoid terrorists advance.

At the same time, Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqi said fighting still continues in Helmand.

“During the last 24 hours seventeen clearance operations were conducted in Ghazni, Urozgan, and Sar-e Pul provinces, and two huge operations are still continuing in Helmand since 48 hours,” Sediqi said.

Officials haven’t said anything about the identity of the captives freed, but most probably they are among the people kidnapped by the insurgents from Kabul – Kandahar highway.

The operation to free the prisoners followed months of fighting in which the Taliban has seized several district centres in Helmand, a major centre of opium cultivation and one of its traditional strongholds.

Reported by: Ali Jawad Asghari