Eight Afghan policemen die in Taliban attack

An Afghan official says the Taliban killed eight policemen and wounded three in an attack on two checkpoints in western Farah province.

A member of the provincial council, Dadullah Qani, says the attack on Tuesday night took place on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Farah, and triggered an hour-long battle in which the Taliban were beaten back.

The Taliban didn't immediately comment on the attack.

On Monday, the insurgents attacked a border base in Pusht Koh in Farah killed 20 Afghan troops while 20 others were abducted, reports the Associated Press.

A resurgent Taliban now hold nearly half of Afghanistan and carry out near-daily attacks on Afghan security forces, inflicting heavy casualties. The Taliban view the US-backed government in Kabul as a dysfunctional Western puppet and have refused repeated offers to negotiate with it.