UN Office Under Attack As Taliban & Afghan Forces Engaged In Battle, One Killed

Kabul: The United Nations (UN) said that it was being attacked by “anti-government elements” at it’s main compound in Western Afghanistan. A soldier has been reporter killed, so far, while one has been injured in the “fighting between” Taliban and government forces. 

“The area around Herat where the compound is located witnessed fighting today between the Taleban and government forces,” a statement by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said. 

The UN also said that they were still not sure about who was behind these attacks and they will have a “full picture” after talking to the relevant parties. 

“Since Thursday morning the Taliban have launched attacks from several directions on Lashkargah city,” a government official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity. Lashkargah is in Helmand, a southern province of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan.

Since the US’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, there has been a takeover by the Taliban over a lot of territories in Afghanistan. Many casualties are being reported since the month of May. 

Recently, Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui, who was working with Reuters was also killed in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan. According to a report published in a US-based magazine on Thursday, 38-year-old Danish Siddiqui, who was killed while covering clashes between Afghan troops and the Taliban in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar city, was actually killed after Taliban verified his identity. 

During this assault, Siddiqui was hit by shrapnel. Injured Siddiqui and his team quickly went to a local mosque to receive first aid. As soon as the word spread that a journalist was in the mosque, the Taliban reportedly attacked.