Taliban Kill at Least 27 Security Forces in Northern Afghanistan

A flurry of Taliban offensives against targets across northern Afghanistan have devastated Afghan security forces in several districts, killing at least 27, and wounding dozens of others. Several sites were overrun.

The deadliest attacks were in the Sar-e Pul Province, where provincial officials reported that 21 of their security forces were killed in a flurry of attacks along the highway to neighboring Jowzjan Province.

Officials say they believe the Taliban’s goal was to seize the oil wells in Qashqari village. They did not succeed in that regard, but did substantial damage along the way. Such coordinated attacks often leave Afghan defenses scattered, and struggling to reinforce the main target.

Taliban also attacked the Balkh Province, overrunning a security outpost in Chemtal, killing six police and seizing all the weapons and equipment within the outpost. These sorts of attack are very common in Afghanistan, where posts are often remote, easy targets with a lot of weapons to seize.