LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan. A militants’ attack claimed the lives of 10 police personnel in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province on Saturday, a local official said.
On condition of anonymity, the official said that the incident took place on Yakling area of Nahr-e-Saraj district in the wee hours of Saturday when the armed insurgents attacked a security checkpoint, triggering a gun battle which lasted for three hours. As a result, 10 policemen and some Taliban militants were killed.
Another source claimed that the attacker was a Taliban infiltrator who joined the insurgent group after committing the crime.
In the meantime, spokesman for Helmand provincial government Omar Zawak confirmed the incident, saying that an investigation had been initiated.
In a similar incident, a policeman joined the Taliban militants after killing a commander of a police base in northern Baghlan provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri several days ago.