Syedabad police chief killed in Taliban assault

KABUL attack in center Maidan Wardak province, an official said on Sunday.

Sharifullah Hotak, a member of the provincial council, told Pajhwok Afghan News that hundreds of militants stormed the district centre late on Saturday night.

He said the district centre fell to rebels, who left later on. Several policemen, including the district police head, were killed in the overnight clash, Hotak added.

But Abdul Rahman Mangal, the governor’s spokesman, denied the fall of the district centre. He believed said both sides suffered casualties during the firefight.

He, however, was unaware of the death of the police chief.

Meanwhile, police spokesman Hikmatullah Durrani said reinforcements had arrived in the district. He confirmed the killing of police chief Syed Zarab Shah Hashimi.

He said the Kabul-Kandahar highway reopened after several hours of closure.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed capturing the district centre, police headquarters and several check-posts during the overnight assault.

sa/mud