21 Afghan security forces, 15 militants killed in clashes

Qala-e-Naw (Afghanistan), Jan 7 (IANS) At least 21 Afghan soldiers, police personnel and 15 Taliban militants have been killed in clashes in Badghis province as fighting rages in the country, officials said on Monday.

In one incident, three Army soldiers, 11 Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel and 15 militants were killed after the security forces fought back scores of armed militants who stormed security checkpoints in Qadis district on Sunday night, Abdul Aziz Baig, an official of Provincial Council, told Xinhua news agency.

The government established the ALP or community police in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where the Army and police have limited presence. 

In similar clashes in Gandab, an area in Ab Kamari district, seven ALP policemen were killed and nine others wounded while casualties were also reflected on the side of militants, the official said. 

The province, 555 km northwest of Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and militants for long. 

The violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by anti-government fighters since the drawdown of foreign forces four years ago.