Taliban attacks kill 14 troops, policemen

KABUL

Taliban attacks in western Afghanistan killed 14 soldiers and policemen yesterday as Kabul residents prepared to bury their loved ones slain in a horrific bombing by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that targeted a voter registration center the day before, killing 57.

The near-simultaneous attacks in western Badghis province, where a large number of insurgents attacked army units in the district of Ab Kamari, killing nine soldiers, said Ghulam Sarwar Haidari, the deputy provincial police chief.

At the same time, another group of insurgents struck police in Qadis district, killing five policemen. Sharafuddin Majidi, spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the casualty tolls.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the attacks in Badghis in a statement to the media.

The attacks came on the heels of the April 22 suicide bombing in Kabul.

The staggering casualty toll - 57 dead and 119 wounded - underscored the struggles the government faces to rein in militant assaults even in large and well-protected urban centers.

The Kabul explosion echoed across the city around 10 a.m., shattering windows miles from the attack site, leaving the pavement covered with bodies and blood stains and destroying nearby vehicles.

The bomber targeted civilians who were registering for national identification cards, Kabul police said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, saying it had targeted Shiite “apostates.”

Afghan security forces have struggled to prevent a recent surge in attacks both by the local ISIL affiliate as well as the more firmly established Taliban.

The attacks increased after the United States and NATO concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

Both groups regularly carry out attacks, with the Taliban usually targeting the government and security forces.