Deadly Taliban Attacks on NATO Convoy and Police in Afghanistan

[Borealis]

[URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/17/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-attacks.html"]source[/URL]

[QUOTE]KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A Taliban attack on police checkpoints that killed 11 officers in Helmand Province and a suicide bombing of an NATO convoy that left a civilian dead here in Kandahar capped a bloody day of violence in the restive south of Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.

Navy Capt. Tom Gresback, a spokesman for the American-led coalition, said there were no fatalities or injuries among the coalition forces.

Dozens of Taliban militants stormed the police checkpoints in [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/28/world/asia/taliban-battle-lashkar-gah-helmand-province-afghanistan.html"]Lashkar Gah City[/URL] that form a security belt around the city about 2 a.m., said Omar Zwak, the provincial spokesman.

Mr. Zwak said 11 Afghan police officers had been killed, but local media reports, as well as residents in the area, put the number of dead much higher. Haji Niamatullah, who lives in the area, said that as many as 14 officers had been killed and three others wounded.

“The fighting was brief, and it didn’t go on for long,” Mr. Niamatullah said.

Helmand remains one of the most violent provinces in Afghanistan, with the Taliban controlling much of its vast territory. About [URL="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/world/asia/marines-return-to-helmand-province-for-a-job-they-thought-was-done.html"]300 United States Marines[/URL] are based there, training and advising the Afghan Army and the police.[/QUOTE]

[Milktree]

I'm worried about my friends over there. I'm glad they're coming home soon.