KABUL: The bodies of 13 Taliban fighters killed in clashes in Nuristan province have been transferred to southern provinces of Afghanistan, according to local sources.
Sources said five bodies were taken to Uruzgan province, while eight others were transferred to Helmand. In Uruzgan, three bodies were reportedly taken to Dehrawod district and two to Kharistan district.
The sources further said that two of the deceased fighters were residents of Lashkargah, while six others were from Sangin district of Helmand province.
According to the sources, the fighters were killed during clashes between Taliban forces and the Afghanistan Freedom Front in Nuristan. Their bodies were transported to the southern provinces by Taliban military aircraft.
The reported transfers come amid continued armed clashes between Taliban forces and opposition groups in several parts of Afghanistan. The Freedom Front has claimed attacks against Taliban positions in different provinces and has released figures concerning Taliban casualties, although such claims are difficult to independently verify.
Taliban authorities have also issued their own accounts of clashes in Nuristan and other areas, with figures that differ from those claimed by opposition groups.
The latest reports indicate that the fighting in Nuristan has affected fighters from multiple provinces, with casualties being transported to their home areas for burial.
The claims regarding the number and identities of those killed have not been independently verified, and Taliban authorities have not publicly confirmed the reported transfer of 13 bodies.