KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday discussed with security officials through a series of video conferences the country’s overall security situation.

The president spoke to defence and interior ministries officials, the spymaster and crops commanders through the video conferences at the Tawhid Centre, a statement from the Presidential Palace said.

The president also gave away military medals to three pilots of the Afghan Air Force. The recipients included Col. Qudratullah, Col. Ghulam Mohiuddin and Col. Attiqullah.

The pilots bravely pounded enemy positions during airstrikes in the Nawzad district of southern Helmand province, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy forces, the statement said.

After that, the president was presented reports by the acting defence minister, the interior minister and the spymaster about the overall security situation, challenges, operations against militants, casualties the enemy and the Afghan military suffered in those operations and future plans.

Following this, Gen. Murad Ali Murad, the ground forces commander, presented a report to the president about security operations in northern Kunduz province and its nearby areas as civil and military officials from Kunduz watched.

Gen. Murad said more than 150 militants had been killed in those operations and another 60 injured. The dead militants included more than 25 foreign fighters, he said, adding eight security personnel were killed and 62 others were wounded during the operations.

The ground forces commander briefed the supreme commander of the armed forces about incoming operations against militants in Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces.

In response, the president thanked and praised all commanders spearheading these operations and soldiers partaking in the actions.

He directed the military leadership to assist families of slain and wounded soldiers at the earliest and provide children of the fallen soldiers every facility they needed.

The president also said the 70 security personnel, who broke insurgents’ siege in Ghulam Ali mound in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz and inflicted casualties on the enemy, should be introduced to the Presidential Palace for reward.

Ashraf Ghani also directed the ministries of interior, defence and the spy agency to appoint a joint delegation to investigate security officials whose negligence allowed insurgents to seize weapons and ammunitions.

The president said he would issue special directives over the next few days about how to improve activities of security forces and their programmes.