Afghan official: Attack in volatile south kills 8 policemen

An Afghan official says overnight attacks by the Taliban on two police checkpoints in the volatile south killed at least eight policemen.

An Afghan official says overnight attacks by the Taliban on two police checkpoints in the volatile south killed at least eight policemen.

An Afghan official says overnight attacks by the Taliban on two police checkpoints in the volatile south killed at least eight policemen. (AP Photo)

Colonel Almas Kahn, deputy police chief in Helmand province, said on Monday that the attack happened in the Gereshk district around midnight on Sunday.

Though Kahn blamed the Taliban, the group did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. Afghan forces have been trying to reduce the number of checkpoints as they are vulnerable to insurgent attacks.

In a separate incident, the Taliban claimed responsibility for firing a series of rockets at Kabul’s new parliament building early on Monday. No casualties were reported.

Rockets are occasionally fired at government and diplomatic areas in Kabul, but casualties are rare and the capital has been largely free of deadly attacks for some months.