MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- At least six police officers were killed and three others wounded after Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints along a main road in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh overnight, a local official said Tuesday.
"Taliban militants armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades (RPG) stormed two security checkpoints along a main road in Bodana Qala village, Sholgara district, Monday night. The clashes left six Afghan Local Police (ALP) killed and three others injured," district chief Sarrajuddin Abid told Xinhua.
The injured police officers were shifted to a hospital after additional security forces secured the area, the district chief added.
One police officer went missing after the clashes and the targeted checkpoints' facilities were set on fire by the militants.
The government established the ALP, or community police, in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where army and police have limited presence.
Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where Taliban have been recruiting among the youth.
The militants have also intensified attacks on security forces and staged coordinated large-scale attacks in Afghan cities and districts.
