Eight Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack

Kabul, Jan 1 (IANS) At least eight soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack in Afganistan’s Balkh province, local officials said on Wednesday.

Fawad Saleh, the Balkh highway police commander, said the attack took place at a highway police checkpoint in Alam Khail village of Balkh province on Tuesday night, Tolonews reported.

There were 14 soldiers at the checkpoint and six soldiers survived the attack, Saleh said.

The checkpoint is located on the Balkh-Jawzjan highway.

A source told TOLOnews that the Taliban conducted the attack with the help of an infiltrator.
The Taliban have not commented yet.

Two ANA soldiers were also killed in a Taliban attack on Tuesday night in Takhar province, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.

The incident happened late at night in Darqad district when a group of Taliban attacked a joint forces checkpoint.
Two others, including a police officer, were wounded in the attack, the MoD said.