Afghan Forces Use Artillery to Repel Multiple Taliban Assaults That Kill at Least 21 by Alex Horton and Sayed Salahuddin – Washington Post
At least 21 Afghan police officers were killed in three simultaneous Taliban assaults Monday night in northern Afghanistan. Although civilians were nearby, security forces fired artillery rounds to repel the militant advances.
The hours-long attack focused mostly on overtaking oil wells and vehicles near the capital in Sar-e Pol province, officials said, as the Taliban bids to demonstrate power and undermine government control during peace talks to end the 17-year-old war.
Militants used rifles and rocket-propelled grenades in the assault, which also injured at least 23 police officers, Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told The Washington Post on Tuesday.
“The areas are with the government, but they are under range of Taliban fire,” Amani said. “We still have not received any assistance.”
Three senior security officials — an intelligence officer and two police commanders — were killed in the attacks, said Mohammad Noor Rahmani, provincial council chief.
Afghan forces fired Soviet-era D-30 howitzers to repel militants on the capital outskirts, Amani said. The Associated Press reported this forced civilians to flee, although officials said there were no reports of civilian casualties…