31 Troops, 81 insurgents killed in fresh offensives in Afghanistan
Kabul, Sep 10 : At least 31 members of the security forces and 81 Taliban rebels were killed, while dozens of others were wounded in three offensives by the insurgents earlier in the day in the northern and central Afghanistan, an official told the media on Monday.
In the northern Kunduz province, the Taliban had launched an overnight attack on a security check post in Dasht-e-Archi district, killing 13 people and wounding 15 others, according to Provincial Council head Yusuf Ayubi.
Kunduz police spokesperson Inamuddin Rahmani confirmed the attack but claimed that only two policemen were killed and four were wounded in the attack, adding that all 11 insurgents were killed by the forces, Efe news agency reported.
Dozens of the Taliban militants had also carried out an attack at the centre of Khamaab district, in northern Jawzjan, and laid siege on government buildings and security outposts, according to provincial security chief Hafiz Khashi.
"Eight of our security forces were killed and three injured, while 10 Taliban were also killed and 13 were injured," said Khashi, adding that the area was currently under the control of the insurgents.
A similar offensive in Daimirdad district, in central Maidan Wardak province, left 10 Afghan troops - including the local police chief - dead, whereas 60 insurgents were killed and a hundred wounded, according to Maidan Wardak governor's spokesperson Rahim Mangal.
"Some parts of the district fell to the Taliban but the security forces could successfully defend the district center and a counter attack was also launched to recover the lost territory," Mangal added.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the three attacks in two statements, claiming 126 security forces members were killed.
The Taliban are, however, known to exaggerate the extent of damage following their attacks. Three weeks ago President Ashraf Ghani had offered a ceasefire proposal to the insurgents.
The Taliban are yet to respond to the offer, and military operations and insurgent attacks have continued in the meantime.
According to the US, the Afghan government controls about 56 percent of the country and the Taliban controls 11 percent, while the rest of the territory is under dispute.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
