<p>FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): At least 20 policemen and more than a dozen <a href="/en/taliban" class="glossify-link">Taliban</a> militants were killed in two separate clashes between the sides in western Farah province on Tuesday, police and residents said.</p>
<p>Police confirmed the death of only colleagues and claimed 13 Taliban insurgents were killed in retaliatory fire.</p>
<p>Dadullah Qanai, a member of the provincial council member and resident of Shamalgah area of Farah City, where the clash occured, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Taliban militants stormed a police post in the area.</p>
<p>He said the post was overran by the Taliban but the Afghan forces recaptured it later.</p>
<p>The Taliban killed five policemen and took hostage four others in the attack, he added, saying the militants also seized weapons and ammunition from the post and torched a Humvee tank. He had no information about Taliban casualties.</p>
<p>Some local officials said at least 20 policemen were killed and eight others taken hostage by the Taliban.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in Farah, , the Taliban stormed security posts in Farahrod Bazaar in Bala Bolok district on Monday night.</p>
<p>Atiqullah, a resident of the area, said the Taliban attacked three security posts in the area and briefly captured one of them rebels.</p>
<p>The attackers killed 15 policemen and kidnapped four others in the attack, said the resident, who was not aware if the rebels had also suffered casualties.</p>
<p>A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, claimed 26 security personnel were killed and 10 others were taken hostage in the Farahrod attack.</p>
<p>He said the fighters also seized all ammunition from the government forces.</p>
<p>But Naser Mahri, the governor’s spokesman, rejected Taliban’s claim and said eight policemen and 13 Taliban were killed in Monday’s night attack.</p>
<p>Mahri also rejected some policemen had been taken hostage and said no security post had fallen to the rebel group.</p>
<p>According to reports, 17 policemen have been killed in similar attacks in Farah in the past one week.</p>
<p>About two weeks ago, a number of Italian soldiers arrived in Farah to support Afghan air forces in their operations against militants.</p>
<p>mds/ma</p>
