KABUL – TVNEWSAF (1TV) website reports that sixteen Afghan border police personnel were killed after Taliban attacked their outpost in the country’s northern province of Takhar on Thursday. Taliban militants attacked check posts of the Afghan police in Chah Ab (شاه آب) district’s Naw Abad (نو آباد) area situated next to the Amu River on Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan.

Citing Khalil Aseer, a spokesperson for provincial police, 1TV reports that Taliban militants attacked from several directions and seized several border police posts. Citing Sunatullah Timori, the governor’s spokesman, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reports that six police personnel are still missing and the rebels have also confiscated arms and ammunition from the security forces. In a statement, the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, claimed to have killed 13 men in the attack, according to Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, Pajhwok Afghan News reported yesterday that at least 14 border police personnel have been killed and six others have gone missing following a Taliban attack in northern Takhar province. Saifuddin Mushtaq, Chah Ab district’s administrative chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News the militants stormed border police check-post in Yatim Tepa area late on Wednesday night. Nine border police personnel were killed and five others wounded, he said, adding the casualties could be higher. He claimed the security officials, who had been tipped off six hours ahead of the attack, failed to take preventive action.

A tribal elder, Anwar Khan, said about 24 policemen were manning the post and 15 of them had suffered casualties. On the other hand, according to Pajhwok Taliban claimed in a statement the rebels had overrun four check-posts and inflicted casualties on nine policemen,