4 highway police killed in suspected insider attack

KANDAHAR/TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): Four policemen at a post on the Kandahar-Uruzgan highway have been killed in what suspected to be an insider attack in southern Kandahar province, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in Tagharak area of Shah Walikot district on Monday evening.

A security official in Shah Walikot, who wished not to be named, told Pajhwok Afghan News the commander of the security post was on leave and 14 policemen were present in the post at the time of the attack.

The source said four policemen of the post were killed and the remaining 10 had gone missing along with their weapons and ammunition.

The official added possibly some of the missing policemen having links with the Taliban executed their colleagues.

But Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani said the incident occurred in Uruzgan province not in Kandahar. But he did not provide more details.

Uruzgan police officials confirmed the slain policemen belonged to their headquarters.

Uruzgan acting police chief Col. Mohammad Akbar Shinwari said a number of policemen at the post had links with Taliban.

He said the policemen, who had links with Taliban, had invited the militants who killed four police personnel. Three other policemen escaped the attack and survived, he said.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

mds/ma