Dozens of Afghan security forces killed in Taliban raids

Kabul, Nov 14 (AFP) Dozens of Afghan police and soldiershave been killed in a wave of Taliban attacks on checkpointsin Afghanistan, officials said ...

Kabul, Nov 14 (AFP) Dozens of Afghan police and soldiershave been killed in a wave of Taliban attacks on checkpointsin Afghanistan, officials said today, as insurgents step upassaults on the beleaguered security forces.

The raids in the southern province of Kandahar and thewestern province of Farah last night came hours after asuicide attacker rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a USmilitary convoy, wounding four soldiers.

The Taliban issued statements on their social mediaaccounts claiming the attacks.

"I can confirm that last night the Taliban launched awave of attacks on police checkpoints in Maiwand and Zharidistricts and we lost 22 brave policemen," Kandahar governorspokesman Qudrat Khushbakht told AFP.

He added that 45 militants were killed during thefighting that lasted around six hours.

In one of the attacks militants used an explosives-packedpolice pickup to ambush a checkpoint, Kandahar policespokesman Matiullah Helal told AFP.

At least 15 policemen were wounded in the coordinatedassaults.

The attack on the US military convoy in Kandahar added tothe casualty toll.

"There were a total of four US service members injuredand all are in stable condition in US medical treatmentfacilities," a spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support missionin Afghanistan said, adding there were no fatalities.

Farah governor spokesman Naser Mehri told AFP nine AfghanNational Army soldiers were killed in two separate attacks inthe province bordering Iran that also claimed the lives of atleast three civilians.

"There are signs the Taliban may have used night visiontechnology to approach and surprise our forces, though theywere spotted before reaching the posts and sufferedcasualties," Mehri said.

The Taliban have intensified attacks on securityinstallations across the country in recent weeks in a show ofstrength as the United States deploys more troops to train andassist Afghan forces.

Analysts said the Taliban's almost daily attacks areintended to show their ability to strike even heavily defendedtargets with the aim of further demoralising Afghan forcesalready beset by huge casualties and desertions.

The Taliban often use bomb-laden armoured Humvees andpolice vehicles stolen from Afghan security forces to blasttheir way into security compounds.

The tactic was used multiple times last month withdevastating effect: hundreds were killed and wounded over abloody few days that left military bases and policeheadquarters destroyed or severely damaged.

Afghan security forces have faced soaring casualties intheir attempts to hold back the insurgents since NATO combatforces pulled out of the country at the end of 2014.

Casualties leapt by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800soldiers and police killed, according to US watchdog SIGAR.

The insurgents have carried out more complex attacksagainst security forces in 2017, with SIGAR describing troopcasualties in the early part of the year as "shockingly high".

(AFP)UZM.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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