Afghan police allegedly aided Taliban

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Taliban forces pulled off a deadly surprise attack against U.S. soldiers last summer with the help of Afghan police, a Pentagon report alleged Tuesday.

The report sent to the commander of the Combined Joint Task Force 101 in Afghanistan said the insurgents had inside intelligence about the base at Wanat that allowed them to penetrate the base's defenses undetected, American Services Press Service reported.

A total of 72 American and Afghan troops battled more than 200 Taliban insurgents in the July 13 firefight in which nine U.S. soldiers died and 27 were wounded.

The report noted a nearby police station was untouched by the fierce fighting. The police later acted unaware there had been an attack, although the Taliban fighters had approached the base from an area where they should have been seen from the police station, the report said.

Twenty Afghan police officers at the station were disarmed, the report said. More than 100 firearms -- many of them fired recently -- thousands of rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, shotguns and other armaments were found at the station.

"All for a police force of 20 individuals," the report said.