Taliban attack an Afghan forces check point, killing 13

According to the spokesman, six insurgents were killed and more than 10 others were wounded during the ensuing three-hour battle with Afghan forces.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to the media.

The joint checkpoint was set up just two days ago in a strategic area to cut off a supply route for the Taliban but was now completely burned down and destroyed, Noori said.

“Reinforcement were rushed to assist the forces under attack but they were ambushed by other Taliban fighters at least four times while on their way to the checkpoint,” said Noori.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks in volatile Ghazni, and in August overran parts of the provincial capital, also called Ghazni. At the time, hundreds of people fled the city amid intense fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban that killed about 120 members of the security forces and civilians. According to Afghan authorities, nearly 200 insurgents, many of them foreign fighters, were also killed.

Ghazni is the only one out of 34 Afghan provinces where the country’s October parliamentary elections could not take place for security reasons. Voting there has been postponed for a year.

In southern Kandahar province the vote was delayed for a week after an attack by an elite Afghan guard killed two top government officials, including a powerful provincial police chief.

Rahim Faiez, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Taliban attack an Afghan forces check point, killing 13

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