Accra, June 20, (dpa/GNA) – At least 49 Afghan
security personnel were killed in Taliban attacks on several checkpoints in the
western Farah and Badghis provinces just days after the end of the militants’
nationwide ceasefire, local officials said on Wednesday.
Early Wednesday, at least 32 members of the
security forces were killed when the Taliban attacked a number of checkpoints
in Bala Murghab district of Badghis and ambushed a convoy of reinforcements
rushing to help, the head of the provincial council, Bahuaddin Qadesi, and
provincial council member Nasir Nazari told dpa.
Initially, the officials spoke of 20 dead from
the attacks.
At least five soldiers were also wounded in
the overnight attack, both officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, in Farah province, at least 17
soldiers were also killed in overnight Taliban attacks, officials said early
Wednesday.
Twelve security force members were killed when
militants attacked two checkpoints in Bala Buluk district, and five others were
killed at a checkpoint near the Iranian border in Jawand district, provincial
councilors Farid Ahmad Bakhtawar and Khair Mohammad Nawrozi said.
At least three security force members were
wounded and four went missing in the attacks, Bakhtawar said, adding that the
militants who attacked the checkpoint had come from the Iranian side.
The attacks came as militants resumed normal
offensives throughout the war-torn country following a three-day ceasefire with
the government that ended on Sunday.
Millions of Afghans had celebrated the
ceasefire and the Muslim Eid holiday at the weekend amid almost surreal scenes
of brotherhood between government officials and Taliban militants.
The ceasefire was the first since the group
lost power in 2001.
Though Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had
extended the duration of the government’s ceasefire and requested that the
Taliban do the same, the militants denied the request.
The Taliban last month overran large parts of
the capital of Farah province, Farah City, and killed at least 30 security
forces members.
GNA