KABUL: The Taliban unleashed a new wave of attacks in northern Afghanistan, targeting members of the country’s security personnel and killing at least 26, local officials said on Wednesday.

The insurgents claimed responsibility for all the attacks. The Taliban today practically hold sway over half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks that target soldiers, security personnel and government officials but also kill scores of civilians.

In northern Kunduz province, at least 10 personnel were killed and four others wounded in an attack on a police checkpoint in the district of Dashti Archi late on Tuesday night, according to Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of provincial council.

And in Balkh province, the Taliban killed nine police officers in an attack on their checkpoint. The fate of four other policemen who were at the checkpoint was unknown, said Mohammad Afzel Hadid, head of the provincial council.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed that insurgents in the Balkh attack had infiltrated police ranks from a while ago, waiting for a chance to strike. Though the Taliban at times exaggerate their claims, the insurgents also on occasion disguise themselves in Afghan uniforms to get easier access to their targets.

In a third attack on Tuesday night, a gunbattle with the Taliban killed seven members of the security personnel in Takhar province, according to Jawad Hajri, the provincial governor’s spokesman. He said 10 Taliban fighters were also killed.

The shootout took place in Darqad district after the security forces had successfully cleared out the Taliban from several other districts in the past week, said Hajri. Fighting was still underway there on Wednesday, he added. The Taliban have intensified their attacks in northern Afghanistan in recent days.

They struck a pro-government militia compound in Jawzjan province before dawn on Monday, killing 14 members of the Afghan security forces.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2020