Taliban claim attack on Afghan security forces that left 14 dead

KABUL. The Taliban targeted a pro-government militia compound in northern Afghanistan before dawn yesterday, killing 14 members of the Afghan security forces, a local official said. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack came even as Taliban officials said just hours earlier that a temporary, nationwide ceasefire has been agreed upon among their council leaders. It wasn’t clear when the ceasefire would go into effect.

Of the 14 fatalities in the predawn attack in Jawzjan province, 13 were members of a pro-government militia and one was a policeman, said Abdul Maroof Azer, the governor’s spokesman. Five other militiamen were wounded and two are missing, according to Azer.