KABUL — Afghanistan’s defence ministry said Sunday its forces killed 28 fighters and wounded 32 in eastern Nuristan province after a group it said included Islamic State militants crossed from Pakistan; Islamabad rejected the allegations, Reuters reported.
Kabul alleged Pakistani militias supported the fighters and that most were former Afghan government security personnel. Pakistan’s information ministry called the claims “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth,” denying that its forces or intelligence agencies were involved, trained former Afghan personnel, or facilitated Islamic State or other militants.
The ministry said the group crossed into Kamdesh district on Saturday intending to attack; surviving fighters fled back toward Pakistani militia positions, it claimed. Reuters could not independently verify the account. The clash follows Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan on September 21 that Islamabad said killed 28 militants; Afghan officials and the U.N. mission reported civilian deaths.
Sources: Reuters
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