Taliban infiltrate base, kill up to 15 Afghan police

Reuters/Kabul

Taliban fighters disguised in police uniforms infiltrated a security forces compound in the southern Afghan province of Helmand and killed as many as 15 police, officials said on Wednesday.

The attack, in the Musa Qala district, was the latest in a widening insurgency that has killed thousands of Afghan security force members and civilians since Nato forces ended combat operations at the end of last year.

"The Taliban were in police uniform and had police vehicles and entered a police compound where they killed all 14 policemen and took their weapons," said a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said the Taliban then went to another checkpoint where they killed another policeman.

Other sources confirmed the attack but gave differing casualty figures, with Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand saying nine police had been killed.

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a spokesman for Taliban in southern Afghanistan said in a text message 12 police including two officers were killed in the attack and 12 weapons captured.