Multiple attacks across Afghanistan have killed at least 10 Afghan police in the past 24 hours, according to official statements. The attacks came from the southwestern Helmand Province to the northeastern Kunduz Province, with both ambushes and bombings used.
The bombings took place in Helmand and Kunduz, with the Helmand blast apparently happening while police were trying to defuse an IED and it detonated, killing four. Two others were killed in Kunduz, and two wounded by a bomb blast.
The ambush took place in Herat Province, where Taliban fighters ambushed a patrol overnight, killing four police, one of whom was described as an “officer” by provincial officials. The Taliban claimed credit for the strikes in Herat and Kunduz, but did not comment on the Helmand bombing.
Poorly paid and often receiving minimal training, the Afghan national police have some of the worst jobs in the conflict, and are often sent to some of the most dangerous parts of the country to fight.