New police chief among those who died when convoy was attacked in Farah province

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Twenty policemen were killed in a Taliban ambush of a police convoy in western Afghanistan and 10 troops died in an insurgent attack on an army checkpoint in the north, Afghan officials said on Monday, as minority Shias took to the streets of Kabul for the second day to protest against the arrest of a local militia commander.

During the demonstration in the Afghan capital, protesters opened fire on the police, wounding four policemen. The deputy interior minister, Gen Akhtar Mohammad Ibrahimi, said 44 policemen were also injured when protesters threw stones and other hard objects at them.

The Taliban ambush, in western Farah province on Sunday afternoon, wounded four policemen, including the deputy provincial police chief, said Dadullah Qaneh, a member of the provincial council.

The convoy was on its way to the district of Lash Wa Juwayn to introduce the newly appointed district police chief when it came under attack, said another council member, Abdul Samad Salehi. The police chief was also killed, said Qaneh.

In the northern Faryab province, the Taliban attacked an army checkpoint in Qaisar district, killing 10 troops, said Mohammad Tahir Rahmani, head of the provincial council. Three soldiers were wounded, while the fate of five others is unknown.

The Taliban, who in recent years have taken control of nearly half of Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the Farah attack, which was the latest in a series of brutal, near-daily Taliban assaults on Afghan military and security forces. There was no statement on the Faryab assault.

The Taliban view the US-backed government in Kabul as a dysfunctional western puppet and have refused to negotiate with it.

The protesters in western Kabul were rallying to denounce the arrest of Abdul Ghani Alipoor, a Shia militia leader in western Ghor province. The Afghan intelligence service accuses Alipoor of leading an illegal armed group that is behind extortion and other mafia-like behaviour in the region.

“I can hear the sporadic sound of shooting from the area,” MP Nasrullah Sadeqizada, who lives nearby, told AP by phone on Monday.

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Mahobullah, a resident form the area, said hundreds of protesters were carrying posters of Alipoor, shouting “Alipoor is innocent” and demanding that he be released. During a previous attempt to arrest Alipoor, in June, security forces in Ghor clashed with his followers, leading to the deaths of seven civilians and four policemen.

On Sunday, hundreds clashed with police during a similar protest in Kabul. In that demonstration, three policemen were shot and wounded and 20 were injured by stones thrown by protesters, who also torched two police checkpoints.

There were also protests on Monday in the northern Balkh and central Bamyan provinces, but no reports of violence.

</s>At least 22 police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

 The attack on the police convoy in Farah province follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing inside an army base mosque on Friday, and intensifying efforts to convince the Taliban to end the 17-year war.

 Two police officers were wounded in Sunday´s ambush, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded.

 “Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons were seized,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added.

 Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said the convoy had been travelling from Farah city to Juwain district when it came under attack. Mohib put the death toll at five with another seven wounded.

 The Taliban and its smaller rival the Daesh have been inflicting record casualties on the forces this year.

 Since the start of 2015, when local forces took over from US-led NATO combat troops to secure the country, nearly 30,000 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed, President Ghani revealed this month — a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged.

 Meanwhile, Afghan authorities are considering postponing a presidential election scheduled for April 20 next year, officials said, following heavy criticism of the chaotic organization of parliamentary elections last month.

 Kubra Rezaie, a spokeswoman at the Independent Election Commission, said an option was being considered in which the presidential election, along with already delayed parliamentary elections in the central province of Ghazni and district council elections could be delayed by three months.

 “But we cannot say they will be postponed because this is something at an initial stage,” she said.

 Last month’s parliamentary elections, which saw huge delays at polling stations across Afghanistan, came in for heavy criticism over problems ranging from incomplete voter lists to malfunctioning biometric voter verification equipment.

 However, any delay to the presidential ballot could provoke strong opposition from political groups, many of which suspect President Ashraf Ghani of trying to engineer his own re-election.

 The issue is complicated by diplomatic efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban, who have met US special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad but who have refused to deal with the Afghan government, which they consider illegitimate.

 The IEC has announced preliminary result for parliamentary elections in 10 of the 33 Afghan provinces where voting took place. The election was not held in Ghazni due to disputes over representation between different ethnic groups.

 Results in the rest of the provinces have yet to be announced as recounting votes continues in some provinces, caused by the large number of complaints about fairness.— Agencies</s>HERAT: At least 22 police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said on Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

The attack on the police convoy in Farah province follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing inside an army base mosque on Friday, and intensifying efforts to convince the Taliban to end the 17-year war.

At least two police officers were wounded in Sunday´s ambush, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded. "Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons was seized," Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added.

Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said the convoy had been travelling from Farah city to Juwain district when it came under attack. Mohib put the death toll at five with another seven wounded.

Afghan government and military officials often downplay the casualty toll of security forces, while the Taliban frequently exaggerate the number its fighters have killed or wounded.

The Taliban and its smaller rival the Islamic State group (IS) have been inflicting record casualties on local forces this year. At least 27 soldiers were killed in Friday´s suicide attack in a mosque on an army base in the eastern province of Khost. IS claimed responsibility for the explosion, which also wounded at least 79 service members.

That came days after a suicide assault on a religious gathering in Kabul that killed at least 55 people and wounded 94. Since the start of 2015, when local forces took over from US-led Nato combat troops to secure the country, nearly 30,000 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed, President Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged.

Experts have warned the attrition rate is unsustainable. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul earlier this month that a peace deal to end the war could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for April 20.

His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for such a deal to be done quickly. But Afghan election organisers said on Monday they were considering delaying the poll for three months amid fears the ballot could derail efforts to persuade the Taliban to talk.</s>HEART: At least 22 police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

The attack on the police convoy in Farah province follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing inside an army base mosque on Friday, and intensifying efforts to convince the Taliban to end the 17-year war. At least two police officers were wounded in Sunday’s ambush, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded. “Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons were seized,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added. Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said the convoy had been travelling from Farah city to Juwain district when it came under attack.

Afghan presidential election may be postponed: Afghanistan’s embattled election organisers are considering delaying April’s presidential ballot by three months, officials said Monday, as they struggle to tally votes cast in the recent legislative poll and resolve thousands of complaints.

The remarks come as the United States spearheads international efforts to engage the Taliban in peace talks to end the 17-year war that some had feared could be derailed by the April 20 presidential vote, which is expected to fiercely contested. The ballot could be pushed back to July 13, spokesmen for the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) told reporters. “There are legal and technical issues that should be addressed properly (if the vote is to be delayed),” ECC spokesman Ali Reza Rohani said. “We have to see if the proposed new date of July 13 is practical and whether we have to hold four elections at once.” Presidential, provincial council and district council elections are scheduled to take place across the country in 2019.</s>HERAT: At least 22 police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said on Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

The attack on the police convoy in Farah province follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing inside an army base mosque on Friday, and intensifying efforts to convince the Taliban to end the 17-year war.

At least two police officers were wounded in Sunday´s ambush, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded. "Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons was seized," Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added.

Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said the convoy had been travelling from Farah city to Juwain district when it came under attack. Mohib put the death toll at five with another seven wounded.

Afghan government and military officials often downplay the casualty toll of security forces, while the Taliban frequently exaggerate the number its fighters have killed or wounded. The Taliban and its smaller rival the Islamic State group (IS) have been inflicting record casualties on local forces this year. At least 27 soldiers were killed in Friday´s suicide attack in a mosque on an army base in the eastern province of Khost. IS claimed responsibility for the explosion, which also wounded at least 79 service members.

That came days after a suicide assault on a religious gathering in Kabul that killed at least 55 people and wounded 94. Since the start of 2015, when local forces took over from US-led Nato combat troops to secure the country, nearly 30,000 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed, President Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged.

Experts have warned the attrition rate is unsustainable. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad expressed hopes in Kabul earlier this month that a peace deal to end the war could be struck before the Afghan presidential election, scheduled for April 20.

His comments underscore an apparent increasing sense of urgency in the White House and among American diplomats for such a deal to be done quickly. But Afghan election organisers said on Monday they were considering delaying the poll for three months amid fears the ballot could derail efforts to persuade the Taliban to talk.</s>At least 22 police were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, a health official said Monday, in another blow to Afghan forces already suffering record casualties.

The attack on the police convoy in Farah province on Sunday also wounded at least two officers, said Shir Ahmad Weda, director of the public hospital in the provincial capital.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message, saying 25 police were killed and four wounded.

“Four vehicles were destroyed and a large quantity of weapons were seized,” Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the militants, added.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan security forces in recent months, inflicting record casualties even as efforts to engage the militants in peace talks intensify.</s>Afghan official says a Taliban ambush of a police convoy in western Farah province killed at least 20 policemen

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan official says a Taliban ambush of a police convoy in western Farah province killed at least 20 policemen.</s>At least 18 policemen were killed after Taliban insurgents ambushed a convoy of Afghan forces in Farah province last night, a local official said on Monday.

Dadullah Qani, a member of Farah provincial council told Ariana News that a convoy of Afghan security forces was ambushed by Taliban fighters when the convoy was on its way from Farah city to Lash Jawin district.

He added that at least 18 policemen including Lash Jawin newly appointed police chief were killed in the attack.

According to Mr. Qani, the convoy was dispatching the newly appointed district police chief along with some weapons and ammunition when it came under attack.

Security officials have not made a comment about the report yet.

The attack comes a day after U.S. top commander in Afghanistan visited Farah city and vowed to support Afghan forces in the province.

Farah is among the volatile provinces in the west of Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in a number of its districts and usually carrying deadly attacks against government forces.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan official says a Taliban ambush of a police convoy in western Farah province killed at least 20 policemen.</s>An Afghan official says at least 20 police officers have been killed when the Taliban ambushed a convoy in western Farah province.

Dadullah Qaneh, a member of the provincial council in Farah, says four policemen, including the deputy provincial police chief, were wounded in the attack on Sunday afternoon near Lash wa Juwayn district.

Another council member, Abdul Samad Salehi, says the convoy was on its way to the district to introduce newly appointed district police chief when it came under attack.

Qaneh says the newly appointed chief was also killed.

The Taliban, who in recent years have taken over nearly half of Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

It was the latest in a series of brutal, near-daily Taliban assaults on Afghan military and security forces throughout the country.
Taliban insurgents ambush a police convoy in the western Farah Province, killing 20 officers, including the newly appointed provincial police chief.