Afghanistan: About 40 Civilians Killed In Lashkar Gah: UN

 The United Nations said Tuesday that at least 40 civilians were killed and over 100 injured in the 24 hours of a fierce battle between state forces and the Taliban in an environed southern city. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan expressed "deep concern" about the fate of civilians in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, in a social media post, urging an "immediate cessation of fighting in urban areas."The insurgent officials said they have taken hold of over a dozen local TV and radio stations in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province. Hundreds of residents chant from their balconies in Herat, another city under siege, "Allahu akbar", as the state forces thwarted the Taliban's latest onslaught. Independent Commission for Human Rights in Afghanistan stated that the insurgents had committed vengeance and had left at least 40 people dead there.