Taliban assault on police base in north kills 11

KABUL — Taliban militants attacked a police base in northern Afghanistan, killing 11, possibly with help from at least one of the policemen inside, local government officials said Tuesday.

The insurgents first overran a checkpoint near the base late Monday, and were apparently able to breach the compound with ease because a sympathetic policeman opened a door for them.

These details were provided by Mabobullah Ghafari, a provincial councilman in Baghlan province where the attack took place.

Insider attacks have been steady throughout Afghanistan’s 18year conflict, with U.S. and NATO troops most often targeted. But when Afghan security forces are targeted, the casualty rate is often much higher.

Last July, two U.S. service members were killed by an Afghan soldier in the southern

Kandahar province. The shooter was wounded and arrested. In September, three U.S. military personnel were wounded when a member of the Afghan Civil Order Police fired on a military convoy, also in Kandahar.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack on the outskirts of Puli Khumri, Baghlan’s provincial capital. The Taliban have a strong presence in the province and frequently target

Afghan security forces in and around the city.

The Taliban currently control or hold sway over around half the country.

The U.S. and the Taliban are currently attempting to negotiate a reduction in hostilities or a ceasefire. That would allow a peace agreement to be signed that could bring home an estimated 13,000 American troops, and open the way to a broader postwar deal for Afghans.

Also Tuesday, a U.S. defense official says the United States has recovered the remains of two American service members killed in the crash of an Air Force plane Monday in Ghazni province.

The official said there is no indication that the plane was downed by hostile action.

The identities of the two have not been publicly announced, pending notification of their relatives.