Afghan forces killed in deadly attacks

Rebel attacks across Afghanistan have killed at least 11 members of security forces while three NATO troops were wounded in a suicide car bombing, officials have said.

The deadliest attacks happened overnight in eastern Laghman province, when Taliban fighters raided police and army checkpoints in Aliangar district, Sarhadi Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor said on Sunday.

Zwak said the dead from the assault included six police officers and one soldier, while security forces killed 15 rebels.

A Taliban statement, however, said that the rebels killed 14 government soldiers in the fighting in which four rebel members were also killed.

In the western province of Herat, rebels attacked a police checkpoint early on Sunday morning, killing one police officer, said Raouf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the provincial police chief.

He said officers killed four rebels in the assault in Shindand district.

An attack on late on Friday on another checkpoint in the district killed three police officers, he said.

Meanwhile in eastern Nangarhar province, authorities said a suicide car bomber wounded three NATO troops in an attack on Saturday night in the province’s Behsud district. NATO said the attacker was killed and there were no other fatalities.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack which comes amid the armed group’s annual spring offensive.