This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-16353382
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Afghan policemen killed in Helmand by roadside bomb | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A roadside bomb has killed at least 10 police officers in the south-western Afghan province of Helmand, police say. | A roadside bomb has killed at least 10 police officers in the south-western Afghan province of Helmand, police say. |
Thursday's explosion destroyed a police truck as it drove through a village in Nad Ali district, officers said. | Thursday's explosion destroyed a police truck as it drove through a village in Nad Ali district, officers said. |
The police were leaving a training centre when their vehicle was hit. The Taliban have said they carried out the attack. | The police were leaving a training centre when their vehicle was hit. The Taliban have said they carried out the attack. |
Separately, France says an Afghan soldier has shot dead two French foreign legion members in the east. | |
'Recruits were victims' | 'Recruits were victims' |
The police officers killed by the bomb were leaving a training centre when their vehicle was hit. | The police officers killed by the bomb were leaving a training centre when their vehicle was hit. |
Some of those killed were reported to be new recruits. One other policeman was injured by the blast. | Some of those killed were reported to be new recruits. One other policeman was injured by the blast. |
Last month President Hamid Karzai said that Nad Ali - which has seen heavy fighting between insurgents and British forces - was being handed over to Afghan control. | |
Correspondents say that the dead policemen were members of the US-funded Afghan Local Police (ALP) force set up last year to play a key role in providing security as Nato forces begin withdrawing from Afghanistan. | |
The ALP provides arms to local people to protect their communities in areas where the Afghan army and regular police have limited reach. | The ALP provides arms to local people to protect their communities in areas where the Afghan army and regular police have limited reach. |
Critics describe it as little more than a militia, but Nato says that it helps to bolster security in rural areas. | Critics describe it as little more than a militia, but Nato says that it helps to bolster security in rural areas. |
British forces have been operating in Nad Ali since 2006. They recently said that the joint security effort had led to an 86% drop in violence this year compared to 2010. | |
The two French servicemen - both non-commissioned officers - were killed as they took part in a support mission with the Afghan army in the Tagab valley. | |
The shooting is the latest in a series of attacks by members of the Afghan security forces against their coalition partners, raising fears of increased Taliban infiltration. | |
There is no information on what happened to the attacker. |
Previous version
1
Next version