<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-threaten-oil-fields-in-northern-afghanistan-188295">Taliban insurgents have stormed</a> security posts in west Afghanistan, killing 21 police and pro-government militia members, officials said on Monday, the latest in a surge of attacks that has cast doubt on tentative steps towards talks.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-kill-21-afghan-security-forces-threaten-city-official-188002">The Taliban attacked the checkpoints </a>in two different parts of Badghis province, which is on the border with Turkmenistan, late on Sunday, provincial officials said.

Abdul Aziz Bek, head of the Badghis provincial council, said 14 policemen and seven members of pro-government militias were killed, while nine were injured.

A second government official, Jamshid Shahabi, a spokesman for the Badghis provincial governor, said more than 15 Taliban militants were killed and 10 wounded in the clashes.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, among the most deadly in the province in many months.

Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement they killed 34 members of the security forces and pro-government militias and seized many weapons and ammunition.

Leaders of the hardline Islamist group and the US&nbsp;officials are scheduled to meet this month to discuss the withdrawal of foreign forces and a possible ceasefire.

Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times in recent months to try to agree on a way to end the 17-year war. But in the meantime, both sides are keeping up their attacks.

The Taliban say they are fighting to topple the Western-backed government and restore strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001.

The United States and its allies say they want to stop Afghanistan from becoming a haven for international Islamist militants plotting attacks in the West. 
&nbsp;

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, among the most deadly in the province in many months.

Taliban insurgents have stormed security posts in west Afghanistan, killing 21 police and pro-government militia members, officials said on Monday, the latest in a surge of attacks that has cast doubt on tentative steps towards talks. The Taliban attacked the checkpoints in two different parts of Badghis province, which is on the border with Turkmenistan, late on Sunday, provincial officials said. Abdul Aziz Bek, head of the Badghis provincial council, said 14 policemen and seven members of pro-government militias were killed, while nine were injured. A second government official, Jamshid Shahabi, a spokesman for the Badghis provincial governor, said more than 15 Taliban militants were killed and 10 wounded in the clashes. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, among the most deadly in the province in many months. Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said in a statement they killed 34 members of the security forces and pro-government militias and seized many weapons and ammunition. Leaders of the hardline Islamist group and the US officials are scheduled to meet this month to discuss the withdrawal of foreign forces and a possible ceasefire. Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times in recent months to try to agree on a way to end the 17-year war. But in the meantime, both sides are keeping up their attacks. The Taliban say they are fighting to topple the Western-backed government and restore strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001. The United States and its allies say they want to stop Afghanistan from becoming a haven for international Islamist militants plotting attacks in the West.

Taliban storm security posts in west Afghanistan, kill 21

The Taliban have released 21 of some two dozen hostages pulled from their vehicles on a highway in southern Afghanistan, officials said today, a day after they were abducted by the militants.&nbsp; 
 
The passengers were kidnapped in Washer district of volatile Helmand province as they were travelling on a bus and two trucks from southern Kandahar to western Herat province. Officials said on Tuesday that an estimated 25 people were taken.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Twenty-one of them have been released and are now with the police,&quot; the Helmand governor`s spokesman Omar Zwak said. 
 
Afghan army corps in southern Afghanistan said they were freed in an operation on Tuesday evening in Marja district of Helmand. 
 
But the Taliban denied the claim, saying they decided to free the hostages after they were found to be &quot;innocent&quot;. 
 
The insurgents had earlier said they were targeting Afghan government officials aboard the vehicles. 
 
&quot;We found 21 of them innocent and released them,&quot; Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP, saying six others were still being held captive, a number that could not be immediately verified by officials. 
 
Highways in Afghanistan passing through insurgency-prone areas have become exceedingly dangerous, with the Taliban and other armed groups frequently kidnapping or killing travellers. 
 
Earlier this month, gunmen abducted 40 people in northern Kunduz province, releasing some later, but an unknown number of others remain in Taliban captivity. 
 
(AFP)

The insurgents said they were targeting Afghan government officials aboard the vehicles.

The Taliban have released 21 of some two dozen hostages pulled from their vehicles on a highway in southern Afghanistan, officials said today, a day after they were abducted by the militants. The passengers were kidnapped in Washer district of volatile Helmand province as they were travelling on a bus and two trucks from southern Kandahar to western Herat province. Officials said on Tuesday that an estimated 25 people were taken. "Twenty-one of them have been released and are now with the police," the Helmand governor`s spokesman Omar Zwak said. Afghan army corps in southern Afghanistan said they were freed in an operation on Tuesday evening in Marja district of Helmand. But the Taliban denied the claim, saying they decided to free the hostages after they were found to be "innocent". The insurgents had earlier said they were targeting Afghan government officials aboard the vehicles. "We found 21 of them innocent and released them," Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP, saying six others were still being held captive, a number that could not be immediately verified by officials. Highways in Afghanistan passing through insurgency-prone areas have become exceedingly dangerous, with the Taliban and other armed groups frequently kidnapping or killing travellers. Earlier this month, gunmen abducted 40 people in northern Kunduz province, releasing some later, but an unknown number of others remain in Taliban captivity. (AFP)

Afghan Taliban release 21 hostages a day after abducting them

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Taliban storm security posts in west Afghanistan, kill 21

Afghan Taliban release 21 hostages a day after abducting them