Taliban attacks across Afghanistan target police

The Taliban attacked a provincial Afghan police headquarters in Paktia province, a district centre in neighbouring Ghazni province, and a government compound in Farah province, killing over 60 people in the east, south and west of the country.

Smoke rises from police headquarters while Afghan security forces keep watch after a suicide car bomber and gunmen attacked the provincial police headquarters in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Afghanistan, October 17, 2017.
Reuters

Smoke rises from police headquarters while Afghan security forces keep watch after a suicide car bomber and gunmen attacked the provincial police headquarters in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Afghanistan, October 17, 2017.

Taliban suicide car bombers and gunmen attacked a provincial Afghan police headquarters on Tuesday, killing at least 33 people including the police chief and wounding 160 in the deadliest of a series of attacks across the country, officials and militants said.

The attack targeted a police training centre attached to the headquarters in Gardez, the capital of eastern Paktia province, and the death toll was expected to rise.

"The hospital is overwhelmed and we call on people to donate blood," said Shir Mohammad Karimi, deputy health director in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province.

At least five attackers were also killed, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Officials said the provincial police chief was among the dead. 

Both civilians and security forces were among the casualties, deputy public health director Hedayatullah Hameedi said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility.

Ghazni province attack

The militant group also attacked a district centre in southern Ghazni province on Tuesday, an offensive that included detonating armoured Humvee vehicles packed with explosives near the provincial governor's office.

Provincial officials said at least 15 government security forces were killed and 12 wounded in the Ghazni attacks, with 13 civilians killed and seven wounded.

The Taliban said they had killed 31 security forces and wounded 21 in those clashes.

Farah attack

In western Farah province, police chief Abdul Maruf Fulad said the Taliban attacked a government compound in Shibkho district, killing three policemen.

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