About 60 Afghan forces killed in clashes with Taliban

Scores of Afghan security forces and Taliban militants have been killed in separate clashes in northern Afghanistan, officials say.

Fighting reportedly raged in four provinces early on Monday, leaving as many as 60 Afghan forces and dozens of militants dead.

Sar-e Pul’s provincial Governor Zahir Wahdat told reporters on Monday that Taliban militants had seized a checkpoint in a district near the provincial capital of the same name and set it ablaze, killing at least 17 security forces.

He added that air support had been called in. Nearly 39 Taliban militants were killed and 14 injured in those strikes, he said.

“The fighting is still ongoing near the city and the central government is going to send more reinforcements soon,” Wahdat added.

The provincial police chief, Abdul Qayom Baqizoy, said Sar-e Pul City had been threatened by the militants after they seized a military base in the province, warning of a “disaster” if reinforcements were not sent.

Baqizoy compared the threat to the Taliban’s recent raid on the provincial capital of Ghazni. Taliban last month briefly seized the major city of Ghazni, located just two hours from the capital Kabul.