Taliban seize district HQs, police officers killed

Taliban fighters overran a second district headquarters in as many days on Sunday, this one in western Ghor province, the provincial police chief said. At least eight police were killed in battles against Taliban militants, who have stepped up their attacks in the north and west of the country laying siege to district headquarters, said Mohammad Mustafa Moseni. Moseni said the Taliban launched four assaults on Ghor’s Taywara district headquarters early Sunday and “we had no choice but to retreat.” He said police have taken up positions about eight kilometres from the district headquarters while they wait for reinforcements to launch a counterattack.