Several parts of Nawa and Nad Ali district of the southern province of Helmand were cleared of the Taliban in an ongoing operation by Afghan forces, the Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday.  

The operation was launched on Monday in Nad Ali and Nawa districts as well as in Lashkargah city, the center of Helmand, to retake the areas fallen to the Taliban two weeks ago, a statement by Defense Ministry read.  

“More than 100 Taliban fighters were killed and wounded in the operation,” the ministry said.  

The statement did not provide details on casualties among security forces in the operation.  

According to Defense Ministry, the Taliban staged attacks and other “violent activities” in at least 22 provinces over the past 24 hours.  

Referring to the Taliban violence, the acting minister of interior affairs, Massoud Andarabi, said the Taliban is losing the opportunity provided to them by the Afghan people for peace.  

Fresh waves of violence have been reported in Kabul, Helmand, Nimroz, Maidan Wardak, Badakhshan, Ghazni, Takhar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Faryab and Ghazni.  

A Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban’s agreement was only with the US, stating that there is a need for a separate agreement with the Afghan forces.