41 Afghan police personnel killed in Taliban ambush

At least 41 Afghan security force personnel were killed in two separate Taliban-led attacks on Saturday.

Kabul: In two separate Taliban-led attacks, at least 41 Afghan security force personnel were killed in various parts of Afghanistan on Saturday.

According to Voice of America, citing Afghan officials as the source, six others have been injured in twin attacks in northern Kunduz and western Herat provinces respectively.

In the first attack, the Taliban militants struck at police posts in Qala-e-Zal district in northern Kunduz province on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, killing 24 Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel, as per the report.

Then on Saturday afternoon, 17 security force personnel were killed when about 150 Taliban militants ambushed the check posts of the Afghan National Army (ANA) in Zawal district of western Herat province, as told by a provincial government spokesperson in Herat.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the twin suicide attacks, adding that it seized military equipment.

The attacks came after Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani for the first time announced an unconditional ceasefire with the Taliban on Thursday.

Subsequently, the Taliban today announced a three-day ceasefire, saying it will not target foreign security forces and defend itself if any attack on the group occurred.