Violence in south leaves 14 dead

KABUL over the past 24 hours, officials said on Saturday.

Three guards of a private company providing security for a road construction firm were killed in an improvised explosive device strike in southeastern Khost province.

The incident occurred late on Friday when a car of the Malikyar Construction Company struck a roadside bomb in Spera district, the deputy police chief told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Col. Mohammad Yaqub said three security guards with the construction company were killed, he said, adding their car was destroyed by to the heavy explosion.

Elsewhere in the south, a Taliban Atiqullah and Mullah Juma Gul were killed in a blast late on Thursday night in Marja district.

A clash between security forces and the Taliban in the same town left three fighters dead. Six militants were detained as a result of the firefight.

Another insurgent was killed and his car seized by police in Nad Ali district, the statement added.

In Ghazni province, police clashed with private security guards in the Shahbaz area. Two policemen, as many guards of the Watan Risk and Management firm and a civilian were killed in the fire exchange.

The clash occured due to a misunderstanding, the deputy police cheif, Mohammad Jan Hussein said. Afghan soldiers and police later disarmed the security guards.

Meanwhile, the 203 Atal militry corps commander, Daud Shah Wafadar, said 110 weapons collected from private security guards had been surrendered to the DAIG programme.

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