10 Taliban, 5 police killed in Ghazni violence

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): A fresh bout of violence has left at least 10 Taliban militants and five police dead and another five militants wounded in southern Ghazni province, an official said on Wednesday.

Col. Asadullah Shajae, the provincial deputy police chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News that armed militants and security forces clashed separately in Khwaja Omari, Zankhan and Maqur districts late on Tuesday night.

Six Taliban were killed in Khwaja Omari and three in Maqur districts and another five militants were wounded, he said.

A separate clash in Zankhan district between Taliban and security forces had no causalities on either side but later in the same area a landmine blast killed five policemen, he said.

Rohullah, a resident of Kodalo area in Zankhan district, said the clash in their area erupted last night and stretched into Wednesday morning, but he had no information about casualties.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, rejected causalities to the fighters and said Zankhan district remained under their control.

He said two Afghan local Police (ALP) members were killed in the clash in Maqur district.

A police tank hit a roadside bomb in Mastana locality of Ghazni City, killing five police onboard, Mujahid said.

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