20 June, 2017
A Taliban attack on a police headquarters in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan has left at least five policemen dead and 25 more people injured, according to media reports.
The attack was launched at about 6:30 am local time in the provincial capital and went on for hours, according to Tolo News.
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Another nine police and nine civilians were wounded in the attack, said Sardar Wali Tabasim, spokesman for the police chief of Paktia province.
He said one of the attackers detonated his suicide vest inside the compound, two others were shot dead by police and one was still fighting. Experts said such attacks would be likely to increase if more US troops arrive.
His description of the assault suggested a well-prepared and coordinated assault.
"Two other attackers are still clashing with security forces", the official added. "Another suicide bomber was killed", he told AFP.
The head of the police hospital, Dr Shir Mohammad, confirmed the five fatalities.
Camp Shaheen is home to the Afghan army's 209th Corps and was the site of a complex Taliban attack in April that killed more than 130 Afghan soldiers.
But it also blames many attacks against foreign troops on what it calls cultural friction, where Afghans become infuriated by a perceived insult.
"First a auto bomb detonated then our mujahideen entered the building, opening fire on police".
Since launching their spring offensive in April, the Taliban have been attacking Afghan army and police bases, killing several dozen men in recent weeks.
About sixty soldiers were killed on their bases, mostly at night, in the southern province of Kandahar alone around the end of May.
Foreign forces assisting the Afghans have also been targeted.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Tabassoom said two suicide attackers died in the suicide auto bombings and three others were killed in the following firefight with the police.
It comes as Washington is expected to announce an increase in the United States military deployment in the country to bolster Afghan forces who are struggling to contain the Taliban's nationwide offensive.
Saturday's incident comes just days after President Donald Trump delegated authority to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to set US troop levels in Afghanistan, opening the door for a possible of influx of forces that could number in the thousands. They mainly serve as trainers and advisers.