The provincial council head for central Uruzgan on Tuesday said Charchino district had fallen to the Taliban militants, a claim rejected by other officials.
Abdul Karim Khadimzaitold Pajhwok Afghan News fierce clashes had been ongoing in the district for the past three days. The Taliban also captured the district centre and police headquarterson Monday night, he claimed.
Local administration officials and police personnel have shifted to an Afghan National Army (ANA) base. Policemen suffered casualties in the overnight clashes, Khadimzai said without providing exact figures.
However, the governor’s spokesman, Dost Mohammad Nayab, denied the district’s fall to the insurgents. He did confirm heavy clashes in Charchino, saying reinforcement had reached the area.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, claimed the district had been overrun by the rebels as a result of an attack in which several police personnel suffered casualties.
By Ajmal Wesal
