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At least 13 dead in Taliban attack on Afghan outpost

An Afghan police officer stands guard in Kabul, Afghanistan. File Photo by Jawad Jalali/EPA-EFE
An Afghan police officer stands guard in Kabul, Afghanistan. File Photo by Jawad Jalali/EPA-EFE

April 24 (UPI) -- Afghan authorities said Friday more than a dozen pro-government militia members were killed during a Taliban attack on an outpost in Badghis province.

Badghis police security officer Shir Aqa Alokozai said the militant group assaulted Public Uprising forces and took control of the outpost near Qala-e-Naw, located in northwest Afghanistan about 70 miles northeast of Herat and 350 miles west of Kabul.

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At least 13 members of the militia died in the attack and 10 are reported missing.

Public Uprising forces, with support from Afghan government security agencies, help provide additional security and protection for remote villages and districts around Afghanistan.

The Badghis province has been one of the main regions for fighting between government forces and the Taliban, which has increased attacks over the past week with incursions in 13 provinces that killed at least 100 security forces.

Afghan Parliament on Wednesday called on the Taliban to observe a cease-fire during the holy month of Ramadan, which started Thursday.

Attacks by the insurgent group have disrupted a peace deal signed in February between U.S. and Taliban negotiators, which called for further intra-Afghan talks between group leaders and government in Kabul.

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