Taliban fighters have killed about 10 security forces in ongoing clashes in Afghanistan's western province of Badghis, an official told AFP on Thursday.

In the latest assault on Afghan forces, who have faced devastating losses in recent years, Taliban fighters smashed through government defence lines near the city of Bala Murghab, capturing several checkpoints.

Jamshid Shahabi, the Badghis provincial governor's spokesman, said "around 10" police and soldiers were killed in heavy fighting that started before dawn and continued throughout the day.

The Taliban "are shelling the main bazaar of the district with mortars -- government forces are fighting back," Shahabi said.

In a statement, the defence ministry said Afghan forces had made a "tactical retreat" from a number of checkpoints in the district to "avoid civilian casualties".

Abdul Aziz Beg, the head of the Badghis provincial council, described the situation as "critical".

"If reinforcements are not urgently deployed, a catastrophe could happen in Bala Murghab district," Beg said.

The Taliban said they had conducted a coordinated attack on a series of government checkpoints, killing 12 security forces.

The clash comes as Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy tasked with forging a peace deal with the Taliban, is concluding a week-long visit to Afghanistan, where he has spoken to national leaders and stakeholders across the country.

In January, President Ashraf Ghani said 45,000 security forces had been killed since he took office in September 2014.

Related Links
News From Across The Stans

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Amid turmoil, NATO in Afghanistan marks anniversary
Kabul (AFP) April 3, 2019
Top NATO officials in Afghanistan on Wednesday heralded key gains from more than 17 years of war, even as the United States seeks to end the grinding conflict that President Donald Trump this week called "ridiculous". Despite hundreds of thousands of troops from NATO having served in Afghanistan since the September 11, 2001 attacks, last year was the bloodiest on record and the Taliban have made gains across the country. The Islamist extremists now control more Afghan territory than any time sin ... read more