Insurgent attacks kill 20 Afghan police in Zabul

Up to 20 police were killed as hundreds of anti-government militants attacked security checkpoints in Shah Joi and Deh Chopan districts of southern Afghanistan's Zabul province early Sunday, provincial governor Bismillah Afghanmal said.

"Hundreds of Taliban rebels launched coordinated offensives in Shah Joi and Deh Chopan districts in the wee hours of today triggering gun battle and so far several attacking militants and 20 police have been killed," Afghanmal told Xinhua.

According to the official, 14 police have been killed in Shah Joi and six others in Deh Chopan districts in the fighting which is continuing.

Meanwhile, Zabul's deputy police chief Ghulam Jilani Farahi said 40 rockets fired by militants slammed into Zabul's provincial capital Qalat 340 km south of Kabul early Sunday but "fortunately" causing no loss of life.

He said the security forces have launched counter-offensive to dislodge militants from the area.