US Army: Over 50 Taliban Commanders Killed in Missile Strikes

A spokesperson for the US Army said on Wednesday that more than 50 Taliban commanders were killed in missile strikes targeting their gathering place in Helmand province, Afghanistan. According to Reuters, Colonel Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for the US Army in Afghanistan, stated that the attack on the gathering of Taliban commanders in Musa Qala, a key area of Taliban activity, dealt a significant blow to the group. He said, 'It is undoubtedly a significant attack,' adding that several other senior and junior Taliban commanders were killed during a 10-day operation earlier this month. The Taliban described this report as 'propaganda,' claiming that the missiles hit two houses in Musa Qala, resulting in the deaths of 5 civilians and injuries to 3 others. Qari Yusuf Ahmad, a Taliban spokesperson, stated in a statement, 'This was a civilian residential area and had no connection to the Taliban.' The US Army reported that the gathering on May 24 included Taliban commanders from various provinces, including Farah province, which borders Helmand, where Taliban forces had briefly taken control of the center earlier this month. Colonel O'Donnell said, 'We believe the purpose of this gathering was to plan for the Taliban's next actions.' He added that while missile strikes can disrupt Taliban operations, they do not necessarily mean an end to the fighting. Reuters notes that details of this operation, which occurred last week, are being released amid ongoing clashes in other parts of Afghanistan between government forces and the Taliban. The Taliban, which began its annual spring offensive last month, aims to restore its rule based on its extremist interpretation of Islamic law. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack on a police checkpoint in Pul-e Alam, the capital of Logar province, east of Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of 3 police officers and injuries to 4 others and 8 civilians. Shahpour Ahmadzai, the spokesperson for the Logar governor, said that the clash began in the early hours after three armed attackers attempted to enter the police checkpoint, and all three attackers were killed during the three-hour armed confrontation. According to the spokesperson for Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, an explosion in the city, which appeared to target a mechanical workshop repairing Afghan army vehicles, resulted in the deaths of 3 civilians and injuries to 13 others.