6 Afghan policemen killed in landmine blast

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - At least six personnel of the Afghan border police have been killed in a landmine blast in the restive Helmand province, an official said on Tuesday.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor of Helmand, told Anadolu Agency the incident took place in Marja district, where the security forces are engaged in fierce clashes with the Taliban since Saturday.

He said the personnel were killed late on Monday when their vehicle hit an anti-vehicle improvised explosive device on a road.

On Sunday, a similar landmine in the Taliban-controlled area in the same district killed seven civilians.

According to the Afghan Landmine Survivors' Organization (ALSO), the deadly mines claimed 1943 lives, mostly civilians, in the past year alone. Afghanistan is world's worst affected country of the landmines after Yemen.

Lying south to the Taliban’s birthplace Kandahar, Helmand remains one of the most insecure provinces in Afghanistan, with the militants controlling large swaths of land.

Recently, the Afghan security forces backed by the U.S. air power have managed to reclaim plenty of territory from the Taliban that has resulted in deadly clashes in various pockets of the province, claiming many lives on both sides.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan’s prime intelligence agency, stated on Tuesday a total of 66 Taliban and 24 pro-Daesh militants have been killed in counter terrorism operations in the past 24 hours.