Taliban fighters dressed as police and driving police vehicles have wiped out a police compound in the southern Helmand Province today, and also overrun a police checkpoint, killing at least 15 police across the two incidents and seizing a large cache of weapons.
With the vehicles and uniforms, the Taliban successfully infiltrated the compound and took the police there unaware, killing all 14 present and seizing all of the weapons and other equipment at the site. They then went on to a nearby checkpoint, killing the policeman there.
Several different officials confirmed the incident, though many of them sought to downplay the seriousness, and put the overall death toll at between nine and 12 police, instead of 15. The Taliban themselves said only 12 police were killed at the compound, and all of their weapons taken.
The Taliban’s recent attacks have mostly focused on northern provinces, with the spring offensive centering particularly on Kunduz. The Helmand Province, far to the south, has always remained contested territory, however, and today’s attack shows the Taliban remains active there.