Taliban raid kills 20 Afghan policemen

Kandahar: At least 20 Afghan policemen were killed on Sunday when Taliban fighters stormed multiple security outposts in the volatile southern province of Zabul, officials said, as the insurgents escalate their annual spring offensive.
Local officials made desperate calls to journalists to seek attention as they were unable to get hold of senior authorities for help, media reported, highlighting the disarray in security ranks.
“On Sunday morning, a group of Taliban fighters armed with heavy and light weapons launched coordinated attacks on several police checkpoints in Shah Joy district of Zabul province, killing 20 policemen,” provincial governor Bismillah Afghanmal told AFP.
A district official told AFP that at least 15 others were wounded in the fighting. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on their website.
Taliban militants launched their annual “spring offensive” in late April, heralding a surge in fighting as the US tries to craft a new Afghan strategy and NATO considers sending more troops to break the stalemate against the resurgent militants.
The offensive normally marks the start of the fighting season, though this winter the Taliban continued to battle government forces. (AFP)