Taliban fighters attacked Afghan bases in the western province of Farah, killing more than 30 police, officials said on Friday, as the insurgents stepped up their offensive in a region with vital opium smuggling routes into neighbouring Iran. In a separate attack in Farah city, Taliban fighters killed 11 police and seized a large quantity of weapons and equipment, he said. Farah, a remote and sparsely populated province between Iran to the west and the Taliban heartland of Helmand province in the south, has been a key battleground for the insurgents for months, with heavy fighting in Balabuluk district. Farah’s governor resigned in January, claiming political interference and corruption, and residents have complained bitterly about security in the province. US and Nato officials say Afghan forces, backed by thousands more US military advisers and intensified air strikes, have been steadily improving and are matching and beating the Taliban.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 11, 2018 10:18 UTC