Conflict: Dozens killed in ‘brutal’ Sar-e Pul attack

Insurgents have killed at least 40 people, including women and children, in northern Afghanistan, officials say.

They say the fighters attacked a security outpost in the Sayaad district of Sar-e Pul province on Saturday night, torching nearby houses.

The civilians “were killed in a brutal, inhumane way”, provincial spokesman Zabihullah Amani said.

It is unclear who the attackers were. The Taliban say they killed security personnel in an attack in the area.

Fighting has intensified across Afghanistan in recent months. More than 1,662 civilians were killed in the half of the year, according to UN figures.

US President Donald Trump is considering whether to increase the number of US troops aiding the military and police in the country.

Among those to condemn the attack was Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive of Afghanistan.