At least 10 Afghan police officers killed in Taliban assault

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Officials in Afghanistan say at least 10 police officers have been killed in an ongoing Taliban assault in the country’s volatile south.

Mohammad Ismail Hotaki, director of Helmand province’s Joint Coordination Office, says Taliban fighters attacked 10 police checkpoints in the province’s Sangin district. He says three have been captured by Taliban and they are surging forward in their assault Sunday.

Officials say there are a large number of Taliban fighters involved in the attack.

The Taliban have launched a number of attacks across many part of Afghanistan since their warm-weather offensive began on April 24. Police checkpoints are regular targets as they are often poorly manned and vulnerable.