2 police dead in Faryab rocket strike

MIMANA (Pajhwok): Two policemen have been killed and as many wounded in a rocket attack by militants on their check post in the Almar district of northwestern Faryab province, officials said on Thursday.

Mohammad Saleh Saleh, the district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News the incident occurred last night in Diwana Khana area on the outskirts of the district centre.

But provincial police chief, Brig Gen Nabi Jan Mullahkhel, said a blast occurred as a result of explosives placed inside a battery at the security post.

He accused militants of involvement in the incident and said a village prayer leader always took batteries to the security post for charging.

The cleric had placed explosives in the battery to target security forces, the police chief alleged. Two people including the prayer leader have been detained.

The rocket was fired from a nearby area, resulted in the killing of two policemen and injuries to another two, Saleh said.

Wishing not to be named, an official of Afghan-Turk Hospital in Maimana confirmed two dead bodies and as many injured policemen had been brought to the hospital. Due to their precarious condition, the injured were referred to Mazar-i-Sharif for treatment, he added.

Noor Mohammad Saeedi, a local elder, said militants had a strong presence in the area and posed a grave threat to the upcoming elections.

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