Kabul - At least 20 people including a district governor and
security forces have been killed in two separate attacks by Taliban
insurgents in Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province, officials
confirmed Thursday.
A large number of armed Taliban attacked Khwaja Omari district centre
in the province early Thursday morning, a member of the provincial
council, Ghulam Sakhi Amar, told dpa.
"Unfortunately, 14 people including the district governor were killed
and five others were injured," Amar added.
Security forces and civilian staff members are among the victims,
according to Amar.
Taliban torched the district governor's office building after
removing weapons and other equipment they could carry, Amar said.
Elsewhere Taliban ambushed a convoy of Afghan security backup forces
on the way to Khwaja Omari district in Kushk area of the capital of
Ghazni, leaving six policemen dead and three others injured,
according to Amar.
Confirming the incidents, another member of the provincial council,
Khaliqdad Akbari, said the number of casualties was probably much
higher.
"Though the district centre is back in the control of Afghan forces,
the Taliban did what they really wanted," Akbari said.
Claiming responsibility for the attacks and the capture of the
district centre, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement
said that more than 20 police had been killed in the attacks.
Three Taliban fighters were killed and four others injured, Mujahid
said.
In the past year, the Taliban have been stepping up their attacks on
district centres. In most cases, the territorial gains are
short-lived.
They are however keeping the exhausted Afghan forces engaged, causing
many casualties.
According to military sources, the Taliban are controlling or
influencing at least 14,3 per cent of the country. 30 per cent are
embattled.
Other sources see higher figures.