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| Taliban Attack Police Base in Afghanistan, Killing 17 | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s police force took another severe blow from the Taliban on Saturday, as 17 police officers were killed in a clash with the insurgents in the southern province of Helmand, officials said. | KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s police force took another severe blow from the Taliban on Saturday, as 17 police officers were killed in a clash with the insurgents in the southern province of Helmand, officials said. |
| The insurgents overran a police base near the center of the strategically important district of Musa Qala, the officials said. Local police officers and witnesses described a large-scale attack that began after midnight and continued until daylight. | The insurgents overran a police base near the center of the strategically important district of Musa Qala, the officials said. Local police officers and witnesses described a large-scale attack that began after midnight and continued until daylight. |
| “There are also casualties to the Taliban, but we do not know the figures,” said Omar Zwak, the spokesman for the governor of Helmand Province. “We are investigating how this happened. Why didn’t the district center headquarters send reinforcements? It’s a big loss. We are saddened.” | “There are also casualties to the Taliban, but we do not know the figures,” said Omar Zwak, the spokesman for the governor of Helmand Province. “We are investigating how this happened. Why didn’t the district center headquarters send reinforcements? It’s a big loss. We are saddened.” |
| Of the 19 police officers stationed at the base, 17 were killed and two were wounded, he said. | Of the 19 police officers stationed at the base, 17 were killed and two were wounded, he said. |
| One police officer, stationed at a base near the one that came under attack, said the insurgents surrounded it and by dawn had completely destroyed it. Roads around the base, known as the Takhtapol base, were planted with mines and booby traps, preventing its defenders from escaping and other officers from coming to their aid, the officer stationed at the nearby base said. | One police officer, stationed at a base near the one that came under attack, said the insurgents surrounded it and by dawn had completely destroyed it. Roads around the base, known as the Takhtapol base, were planted with mines and booby traps, preventing its defenders from escaping and other officers from coming to their aid, the officer stationed at the nearby base said. |
| Musa Qala, in Helmand’s north, adjoins the district of Baghran, which the Taliban already control, according to Maj. Gen. Mohammad Afzal Aman, chief of operations for the Ministry of Defense. Officers assigned to fight the Taliban in Baghran were stationed at the Takhtapol base, which is less than a mile from the district headquarters in Musa Qala. | Musa Qala, in Helmand’s north, adjoins the district of Baghran, which the Taliban already control, according to Maj. Gen. Mohammad Afzal Aman, chief of operations for the Ministry of Defense. Officers assigned to fight the Taliban in Baghran were stationed at the Takhtapol base, which is less than a mile from the district headquarters in Musa Qala. |
| Afghanistan’s poorly trained and ill-equipped national police force has borne the brunt of the fighting, and the casualties, in Helmand, as in many other parts of the country. Of the 5,588 Afghan government security forces killed last year, 3,720 of them were police officers — twice the number of regular soldiers killed. | Afghanistan’s poorly trained and ill-equipped national police force has borne the brunt of the fighting, and the casualties, in Helmand, as in many other parts of the country. Of the 5,588 Afghan government security forces killed last year, 3,720 of them were police officers — twice the number of regular soldiers killed. |
| On May 25, 20 police officers were killed in Taliban attacks in Helmand. In April, the provincial police chief in southern Oruzgan Province was killed, just six weeks after his predecessor met a similar fate. | On May 25, 20 police officers were killed in Taliban attacks in Helmand. In April, the provincial police chief in southern Oruzgan Province was killed, just six weeks after his predecessor met a similar fate. |
| “We do not have modern weapons to fight the Taliban and have no aircraft to target them,” said a police officer from Musa Qala, who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the news media. “When we learned that Taliban ambushed the police base, we cannot assist them, due to fears of ambush or I.E.D.’s,” the officer said, referring to improvised explosive devices. | “We do not have modern weapons to fight the Taliban and have no aircraft to target them,” said a police officer from Musa Qala, who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the news media. “When we learned that Taliban ambushed the police base, we cannot assist them, due to fears of ambush or I.E.D.’s,” the officer said, referring to improvised explosive devices. |
| Musa Qala district itself nearly fell to the Taliban last year, but the insurgents were turned back, in part by air support from the American-led coalition. | Musa Qala district itself nearly fell to the Taliban last year, but the insurgents were turned back, in part by air support from the American-led coalition. |
| General Aman said at a news conference on Saturday in Kabul that the Taliban now controlled four of Afghanistan’s more than 300 districts, including two in Helmand. The other Helmand district they control is Dishu, in the far south of the province, the general said. | General Aman said at a news conference on Saturday in Kabul that the Taliban now controlled four of Afghanistan’s more than 300 districts, including two in Helmand. The other Helmand district they control is Dishu, in the far south of the province, the general said. |
| The other two Taliban-controlled districts are the Khak-e Afghan District in Zabul Province and the Nawa District in Ghazni Province, General Aman said. “No other area except those four districts is under the enemy control now,” he said. Last week the insurgents overran the Yamgan District in northern Badakhshan Province, but General Aman said that it was now back in government control. | The other two Taliban-controlled districts are the Khak-e Afghan District in Zabul Province and the Nawa District in Ghazni Province, General Aman said. “No other area except those four districts is under the enemy control now,” he said. Last week the insurgents overran the Yamgan District in northern Badakhshan Province, but General Aman said that it was now back in government control. |
| Lt. Gen. Mohammad Dawran, the commander of the Afghan Air Force, acknowledged Saturday that a lack of air support since the American-led combat mission ended last year was a problem for the country’s security forces. A much smaller number of American and allied troops remain in Afghanistan, mainly for training, advising and counterterrorism operations. American warplanes no longer routinely carry out close air support for Afghan units. | Lt. Gen. Mohammad Dawran, the commander of the Afghan Air Force, acknowledged Saturday that a lack of air support since the American-led combat mission ended last year was a problem for the country’s security forces. A much smaller number of American and allied troops remain in Afghanistan, mainly for training, advising and counterterrorism operations. American warplanes no longer routinely carry out close air support for Afghan units. |
| “We really have serious problems in this area,” General Dawran said. “The president sees and follows this in the national security council himself and works on how we can find a better solution for this problem,” he said, referring to President Ashraf Ghani. | “We really have serious problems in this area,” General Dawran said. “The president sees and follows this in the national security council himself and works on how we can find a better solution for this problem,” he said, referring to President Ashraf Ghani. |