Up to 16 suspected Taliban militants and four police officers were killed in separate clashes between the militants and Afghan and US-led coalition forces, the American military said on Tuesday. US-led warplanes and troops killed nine Taliban rebels on Monday after the militants launched three attacks in quick succession on coalition forces, a coalition press statement said. No Afghan or coalition troops were killed or injured in the onslaught on Monday by the insurgents at Barmal in Paktika province. "Initial reports indicate up to nine insurgents were killed on May 30 during three near-simultaneous attacks against Afghan and coalition positions along the Afghan-Pakistan border," the statement said. Three Afghan and coalition positions close to each other near the border came under attack by small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire, it said. "Coalition aircraft responded to the scene and, in conjunction with ground forces, pursued the attackers, killing a suspected six to nine insurgents," read the statement. It did not say who had carried out the attack.
Four police and another seven Taliban died on Monday when militants attacked a police headquarters in the Arghandab district of Zabul province, officials said earlier Tuesday. Seven police officers were wounded and three guerrillas were also captured in Monday's incident, interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal told AFP. "The district police headquarters came under attack and four police were martyred and seven were wounded. The building was partially damaged," Mashal said. "Seven enemy elements were also killed and three Taliban armed men were arrested," he added. In Jildiq, another district in the province, rebels also set fire to a police vehicle Monday but no casualties were reported, the spokesman said.
In southern Afghanistan, men on a motorcycle