15 Afghan policemen killed in Taliban attack

At least 15 police forces have been killed in an attack by Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

On Wednesday, Afghan officials said Taliban militants dressed in police uniforms attacked a checkpoint in the Musa Qala district.

According to Helmand governor Mirza Khan Rahimi, two other policemen were injured in the attack which he described as a “conspiracy against the police.”

Rahimi added that the officers had received a call earlier telling them to be prepared for a visit by colleagues. “But the visitors were attackers in police uniforms who opened fire and killed them.”

An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the militants also captured eight Afghan policemen.

The incident comes days after a number of deadly bombings in the Afghan capital, Kabul, which left at least 50 people dead.

The militants, who have been witnessing a recent rise in inside fighting, have taken control of a few districts in the volatile Helmand Province since they began their spring offensive in late April.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani recently accused the Pakistani government of being behind the latest bombings in Kabul.

Afghanistan continues to face a security crisis nearly 14 years after the United States and its allies invaded it in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror.