7 police killed in W. Afghan attack as Taliban resumes fighting

At least seven policemen were killed and three others wounded in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan’s western Farah province on Wednesday night, the first major attack after a brief ceasefire ended, the local Police confirmed on Thursday.

“The clashes erupted after militants stormed a security checkpoint in the village of Rigi on the outskirts of provincial capital Farah city.

“The militants also sustained casualties based on the bloodstains on the clash site,’’ provincial Police spokesman, Muhibullah Muhib, told Xinhua.

The injured police were presumably captured by the militants in the province that has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants for years.

The clash came one day after a three-day ceasefire between Taliban militants and government security forces was ended on Tuesday night.

The Taliban did not extend the ceasefire which was declared during the three-day Muslim’s Eid al-Fitri festival despite the national and international call for extension of the brief truce.