A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday.

In northern Kunduz province, terrorists broke into a house, pulling a female police officer out and killing her on the spot, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi from Kunduz Provincial Council told Xinhua.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-authorities-begin-release-of-dangerous-taliban-prisoners-320396">Also read:&nbsp;Afghan authorities begin release of 'dangerous' Taliban prisoners</a>

The deceased served in the provincial airport and an investigation has been launched into the incident, the source added.

In the second attack, two engineers of the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, a department of the country`s Ministry of Power and Water, were killed after gunmen ambushed a vehicle in eastern Parwan province, local media Khaama Press reported.

On July 27, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report that civilian casualties in Afghanistan decreased 13 per cent in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period last year.

A total of 1,282 civilians were killed and 2,176 others wounded during the period, according to the report.

Targetted attacks were the third cause of civilian casualties after ground engagements and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban, the report indicated.

At least 30 people were killed in targetted attacks in the country last month.

A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday.

A policewoman and two government employees were killed by terrorists in two Afghan provinces on Thursday, the latest in a string of targetted attacks in the country, sources said on Friday. In northern Kunduz province, terrorists broke into a house, pulling a female police officer out and killing her on the spot, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi from Kunduz Provincial Council told Xinhua. Also read: Afghan authorities begin release of 'dangerous' Taliban prisoners The deceased served in the provincial airport and an investigation has been launched into the incident, the source added. In the second attack, two engineers of the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, a department of the country`s Ministry of Power and Water, were killed after gunmen ambushed a vehicle in eastern Parwan province, local media Khaama Press reported. On July 27, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report that civilian casualties in Afghanistan decreased 13 per cent in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period last year. A total of 1,282 civilians were killed and 2,176 others wounded during the period, according to the report. Targetted attacks were the third cause of civilian casualties after ground engagements and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban, the report indicated. At least 30 people were killed in targetted attacks in the country last month.

Policewoman, two govt staff killed in targeted attacks in Afghanistan

Eight local policemen were killed by their colleagues after they were poisoned in their base in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, in a latest so-called &quot;insider attack&quot;.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which happened in the Nawshar district of southern Zabul province late on Friday, as the militants escalate a deadly winter campaign of violence.

&quot;The infiltrators first poisoned their colleagues and then shot them dead,&quot; provincial spokesman Gul Islam Seyal told AFP, adding that the attackers fled the area taking all the weapons and munitions from the base.

The governor of Zabul Bismillah Afghanmal said they had launched an investigation into the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to the media that the group&#39;s &quot;infiltrators&quot; carried out the attack.

So-called insider attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have been a major problem during the more than 15-year-long war.

Such attacks have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks.

In a similar incident last month, an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the neighboring Helmand province.

And last September, two Afghan soldiers with suspected Taliban links killed at least 12 of their comrades as they slept in the volatile northern province of Kunduz.

(AFP)

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which occurred in southern Afghanistan

Eight local policemen were killed by their colleagues after they were poisoned in their base in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, in a latest so-called "insider attack". The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident, which happened in the Nawshar district of southern Zabul province late on Friday, as the militants escalate a deadly winter campaign of violence. "The infiltrators first poisoned their colleagues and then shot them dead," provincial spokesman Gul Islam Seyal told AFP, adding that the attackers fled the area taking all the weapons and munitions from the base. The governor of Zabul Bismillah Afghanmal said they had launched an investigation into the incident. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a message to the media that the group's "infiltrators" carried out the attack. So-called insider attacks -- when Afghan soldiers and police turn their guns on their colleagues or on international troops -- have been a major problem during the more than 15-year-long war. Such attacks have sapped morale and caused deep mistrust within security ranks. In a similar incident last month, an Afghan policeman linked to the Taliban shot dead 11 of his colleagues at a checkpoint in the neighboring Helmand province. And last September, two Afghan soldiers with suspected Taliban links killed at least 12 of their comrades as they slept in the volatile northern province of Kunduz. (AFP)

Eight Afghan policemen poisoned by colleague

A US air raid has killed eight Afghan policemen in the country&#39;s volatile south, officials said on Monday, in the first apparent &quot;friendly fire&quot; incident since American forces were granted greater powers to strike at insurgents. 
 
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Tali area of Uruzgan province, where the Taliban recently attempted to overrun the capital city Tarin Kot in a major security breach. 
 
&quot;The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second air strike, killing seven of them,&quot; Rahimullah Khan, Uruzgan highway police commander, told AFP. 
 
Mohammad Sediq, a policeman who survived the attack said their forces were &quot;engaged in close fighting&quot; with the Taliban when they were bombed. 
 
The NATO command centre in Kabul confirmed US warplanes had conducted an air strike in the area, but said they targeted individuals posing a threat to Afghan forces. 
 
&quot;US forces conducted two airstrikes against individuals firing on our Afghan partners in Tarin Kot on 18 September,&quot; NATO spokesman Charles Cleveland said in a statement. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have any further information on who those individuals might have been or why they were attacking (Afghan) forces. US, coalition, and Afghan forces have the right to self-defence, and in this case were responding to an immediate threat.&quot; 
 
NATO officially ended its combat mission in December 2014, but US forces got more power in June to strike at the insurgents as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. 
 
The new authority gave the US-led NATO troops greater latitude to order airstrikes in support of Afghan troops. 
 
Earlier this month, Afghan forces backed by US air strikes mounted an offensive to flush out Taliban insurgents encircling Tarin Kot. 
 
Afghan forces repelled the attack hours later, bolstered by reinforcements. 
 
(AFP)

'The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second airstrike,' police said

A US air raid has killed eight Afghan policemen in the country's volatile south, officials said on Monday, in the first apparent "friendly fire" incident since American forces were granted greater powers to strike at insurgents. The incident occurred on Sunday in the Tali area of Uruzgan province, where the Taliban recently attempted to overrun the capital city Tarin Kot in a major security breach. "The first airstrike killed one policeman. When other policemen came to help, they came under a second air strike, killing seven of them," Rahimullah Khan, Uruzgan highway police commander, told AFP. Mohammad Sediq, a policeman who survived the attack said their forces were "engaged in close fighting" with the Taliban when they were bombed. The NATO command centre in Kabul confirmed US warplanes had conducted an air strike in the area, but said they targeted individuals posing a threat to Afghan forces. "US forces conducted two airstrikes against individuals firing on our Afghan partners in Tarin Kot on 18 September," NATO spokesman Charles Cleveland said in a statement. "We don't have any further information on who those individuals might have been or why they were attacking (Afghan) forces. US, coalition, and Afghan forces have the right to self-defence, and in this case were responding to an immediate threat." NATO officially ended its combat mission in December 2014, but US forces got more power in June to strike at the insurgents as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. The new authority gave the US-led NATO troops greater latitude to order airstrikes in support of Afghan troops. Earlier this month, Afghan forces backed by US air strikes mounted an offensive to flush out Taliban insurgents encircling Tarin Kot. Afghan forces repelled the attack hours later, bolstered by reinforcements. (AFP)

Now, US air raid kills eight Afghan policemen: Officials