KABUL: The Afghanistan Freedom Front has claimed that more than 60 Taliban members were killed or wounded during recent clashes in parts of Nuristan and Kunar provinces.
In a statement, the Freedom Front said fighting began on October 4 after Taliban forces attacked positions held by its fighters in Kamdesh district of Nuristan and Naray district of Kunar. The group said its forces responded with defensive operations followed by counterattacks.
According to the Freedom Front, the fighting resulted in several villages and Taliban outposts being taken out of Taliban control. The group also claimed that its fighters seized a number of light and heavy weapons during the clashes.
The Front said its fighters have maintained their positions in the areas it claims to have captured and are prepared to continue operations and provide security there.
The group also rejected previous Taliban claims that members of the Freedom Front had been killed or captured during the fighting. It said none of its fighters were in Taliban custody and described the Taliban account as propaganda intended to present a different picture of the battlefield.
Taliban authorities have previously provided a conflicting account of the clashes. The Taliban Defense Ministry claimed that 28 members of an opposing group were killed and 32 were captured, while identifying those involved as Daesh/ISKP and other armed elements.
The competing casualty and territorial claims have not been independently verified. The clashes are part of continuing armed confrontations between Taliban forces and anti-Taliban groups in eastern Afghanistan.