Afghanistan

FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, June 9 (Xinhua) -- At least three persons have been killed and scores of houses have been washed away due to downpour and floods in Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province over the past 24 hours, the provincial head of Natural Disaster Management Authority said Sunday.

According to Sayed Abdullah Hamayon Dehqanzada, the heavy shower and floods hit parts of Kasham, Argo, Shahr-e-Bazarg and Tishkan districts and preliminary reports have confirmed the death of three persons.

KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Two police were confirmed dead and six others injured after a group of Taliban insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in Pato district of Afghanistan's central province of Daikundi on Saturday, provincial police chief Ghulam Sakhi Ghafoori said.

A group of the armed insurgents, according to the official, targeted a checkpoint of police in Pato district early morning, triggering a gun battle which killed two policemen and injured six others.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have managed to retake the volatile district of Khawja Omari from Taliban militants in eastern Ghazni province, a local source said Friday.

"After one year, the Afghan brave security forces could completely recapture Khawja Omari district following a counter-terrorist offensive at about 9:00 a.m. Friday morning," the provincial government said in a statement.

Government forces withdrew from the district following a wide offensive from insurgents loyal to the Taliban group, one year ago, the statement said.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, June 2 (Xinhua) -- A suicide car bombing killed eight Afghan police officers and wounded seven others after targeting a police station in the country's eastern Ghazni province, an official confirmed Sunday.

The blast happened at about 9:50 p.m. Saturday, when a hijacked military vehicle packed with explosives struck to provincial Reserve Police Force station in Esfandi area, some 6 km to the provincial capital Ghazni city, killing eight police personnel and wounding seven others, Adam Khan Sirat, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan security forces raid against Taliban fighters in eastern Nangarhar province mistakenly killed at least six civilians, including a woman and two children, provincial officials said Saturday.

Attahullah Khogyani, the provincial governor’s spokesman, said 10 insurgents were also killed in the Friday night attack in Sherzad district.

The civilians’ vehicle was exiting the area right after the raid and security forces thought that Taliban fighters were trying to escape, so they opened fire and mistakenly killed the civilians, Khogyani said.

Kabul, May 17 (AP) Afghan officials say an airstrike killed 17 policemen by mistake during a battle with the Taliban just outside the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah in the country's southern Helmand province.

Attaullah Afghan, head of the provincial council, says the airstrike took place on Thursday as Afghan police were fighting the Taliban near the city. He also says 14 policemen were wounded in the strike.

KABUL, May 14 (Xinhua): The Afghan law enforcement agencies have sentenced 34 individuals in connection with drug-related crimes to jail terms, authorities said Tuesday.

"In the past one week, 34 people involved in 42 cases of drug trafficking have been sentenced from two years and six months to 17 years, during open meeting of the primary and secondary courts of the Central Narcotics Tribunal (CNT), a judicial center," Afghan Counter-Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force said in a statement.

KABUL, May 12 (Xinhua): At least 13 Taliban militants were killed after clashes erupted between police and militants in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, Ministry of Interior Affairs said Sunday.

"Afghan National Police came in contact with militants in Nadir Khan village, Maruf district, Kandahar province; the clashes left 13 militants dead and nine others wounded," the ministry said in a statement.

There were no casualties on the side of national police, the statement added.

SHARAN, Afghanistan, May 11 (Xinhua): A total of 10 Taliban militants were killed after a NATO-led coalition forces' pilotless plane struck a Taliban hideout in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktika overnight, local police said Saturday.

"The strike was conducted in Mangarreet locality of Barmal district, killing 10 militants and destroying a militant's vehicle," Shah Mohammad Aryan, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.

No civilian was hurt following the sortie in the province, 155 km south of the country's capital Kabul, the source added.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 4 (Xinhua): About three police officers and 14 militants were killed in checkpoint clashes in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar on Saturday, provincial police chief said.

"The clashes started at early hours of the day after Taliban stormed Boldak Nika police security checkpoint in Spin Boldak district, southern of provincial capital Kandahar city. And the exchange of fire lasted for four hours, leaving the casualties," Gen. Tadeen Khan told Xinhua.