Taliban militants kill 6 policemen in Afghanistan’s western province of Farah

At least six policemen have been killed after the Taliban militants launched coordinated attacks on three checkpoints in Afghanistan’s western province of Farah, local officials say.

At least eight other police forces also sustained injuries in the gun battles, which occurred on Saturday night, said Mohammad Naser Mehri, a spokesman for the provincial governor, on Sunday.

He added that the fierce fighting also left at least eight militants dead and five others wounded.

Shortly after the ambush, the Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the deadly raids.

Aqbal Baheer, Farah police spokesman, also confirmed the incident but did not specify the number of checkpoints that came under attack by Taliban militants.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, seven suspected Taliban militants were killed when they tried to plant a roadside bomb on a road, used by Afghan security forces, in the northern Kunduz province. According to Mahbobullah Sayedi, a district chief, the premature explosion also injured two other militants.

The Taliban have increased attacks on security forces and foreign troops over the past two years. Back in October, the group’s militants launched several attacks on a number of checkpoints and military bases across the war-ravaged country, leaving over 100 soldiers dead and dozens others injured.

The group, mostly based in the south and east of Afghanistan, has been behind many attacks in the north of the country in the recent past.

SS