Five Afghan police officials killed in Taliban checkpoint attack

An Afghan official said that at least five police officers have been killed when their checkpoint came under attack by insurgents in the northwestern Badghis province.

Abdul Aziz Beg, head of the provincial council, says three other police were wounded and another detained by the Taliban early Saturday morning in the Qadis district.

Beg said the gun battle lasted about an hour with casualties among Taliban, too, but did not provide an exact figure.

Taliban insurgents claimed the attack in Qadis, saying they seized ammunition from the checkpoint.

The Taliban in recent years has taken over almost half of the country and have stepped up their attacks on security forces.