The National Resistance Front (NRF) confirmed that at least four of its fighters have been killed after a ten-hour long battle with the Taliban in Khost district of Baghlan Province. According to the NRF, the body of the commander of the group has not been found yet.
NRF in a statement said on Monday, "The skirmish started when the Taliban forces conducted house-to-house search operations in Jangalak village and harassed people."
The National Resistance Front claimed that during the gun fight that "lasted until midnight, eight Taliban members had been killed and 15 others had been wounded”.
NRF claimed that "the son of Mullah Sayed Mohammad, the deputy intelligence officer of the Taliban in Khost district was killed in this battle and Arif, the intelligence officer of this group in Khost, was wounded”.
However, the Taliban has not reacted to the reports of the skirmish in Baghlan.
Meanwhile, local sources from Khost district of Baghlan province confirmed to Afghanistan International that after commander Ruhollah Nazari refused to surrender to the Taliban, the Taliban drilled a hole into the roof of his house and threw a barrel bomb inside his house.
In a video clip received by Afghanistan International, one can see that a house in Khost district is on fire and a column of smoke can be seen rising from the top of the house.
The National Resistance Front also confirmed that the Taliban used heavy weapons and barrel bombs in the battle.
According to the NRF statement, seven residential houses of the people have been gutted in this attack.
A source close to Commander Ruhollah's family confirmed that the commander has been killed in the battle with the Taliban and Commander Ruhollah's mother was also injured in this explosion.
A local source from Khost district said that two civilians also died in the skirmish.
Ruhollah Nazari was one of the former commanders of the Afghan national army and had served in different provinces such as Kunduz and Ghazni.
