 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants admitted Monday they have vacated Musa Qala district of Helmad province as Afghan and NATO forces continue their operation in militants' heartland in south Afghanistan. "We retreated from Musa Qala in order to avoid inflicting casualties on civilians," the outfit's spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi told media from undisclosed location. He did not give more details.
| "As soon as the real soldiers are gone we'll sneak back and set up shop again." |
Afghan troops backed by NATO launched a major offensive on Saturday afternoon to restore government's control over the strategically important Musa Qala district and so far, according to officials over two dozen Taliban fighters have been killed. After falling into Taliban hands last February, Musa Qala has enabled Taliban fighters to regroup and target Afghan and NATO and the U.S.-led Coalition forces in the southern and eastern provinces of the post-Taliban nation. |