Taliban militants kill five policemen in northern Afghanistan
At least five Afghan policemen have been killed and another six have been wounded in a fierce battle with the Taliban militant group in the country’s troubled north, security sources say.
The casualties were caused after heavily-armed militants launched a three-pronged push in the northern province of Baghlan.
Police official Amir Gul Hussainkhil said police repelled the Taliban assault in Baghlan's Jaded district on Tuesday. Intense fighting is still underway in some areas, the official added.
Asadullah Shabaz, the provincial council chief, said the road between Baghlan and neighboring Kunduz province remained closed because of the fighting.
He said several houses had been damaged and hundreds of residents had been relocated.
Reports said local schools and markets were also closed across the troubled region.
The Taliban, meanwhile, claimed in a statement that they killed several members of Afghan security forces and wounded at least three dozen others in the deadly raid.
Afghan forces have been engaged in fierce clashes with the Taliban to contain insurgency in various parts of the country.
Taliban militants were removed from power following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, but they have stepped up activities in recent months, attempting to overrun several regions.
The United Nations recently expressed deep concern over the rise in the number of civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan.
According to the mid-year report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan published on Monday, 1,662 people were killed and more than 3,500 injured in the war-torn country in the first half of 2017, showing a sharp rise in the civilian casualties.
Read more:
During the past 16 years, the Taliban militants have been conducting terrorist attacks across the country, killing and displacing civilians.
In addition, the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group recently managed to take recruits from Afghan Taliban defectors.
Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.
Russia decides 'at highest level' to remove Taliban from list of terrorists
Dozen killed in Daesh attack on Hazaras welcoming Karbala pilgrims
UN warns Daesh Afghanistan branch growing in strength
Israel launches air strikes on Syria-Lebanon border crossing
Russia: Comprehensive deal with Iran will include defense, security ties
VIDEO | Israeli embassy shooting in Jordan leaves gunman dead, 3 police injured
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
VIDEO | Struggles of Palestinian women amidst war, displacement
VIDEO | Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
