Taliban’s splinter group leader Mullah Rasool yesterday claimed his loyalists were attacked by the main Taliban group “for protecting dams in the southwestern Afghanistan.”
Local officials in western Herat province on Sunday had said that at least 40 Taliban militants were killed during an overnight clash between two rival factions in Shindand district.
Jailani Farhad, spokesman for Herat governor, said that the clash was between Taliban commander Mullah Samad loyal to the group’s supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah, and fighters of a splinter group led by Commander Mullah Nangyali.
The Mullah Rasool Group Council in a statement said their rivals attacked them thrice in Shindand.
The statement added that Mullah Rasool faction of Taliban had always defended Islam and the nation and would continue to do so. It would let no one trample on Afghans’ freedom.
The Mullah Rasool group alleged some individuals disguised as Taliban at orders from Iran attacked major dams in southwest such as Kajaki, Salma and Kamal Khan dams and they did not allow the vitally important national projects to be completed.
There has been so far no word from Taliban’s Mullah Haibatullah faction in this regard.
Follow TKG on Twitter & Facebook
