Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Roadside Bomb Kills 11 Afghan Forces as US Envoy Renews Peace Diplomacy

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Officials in Afghanistan said Saturday a roadside bomb
   explosion in the northeastern border province of Badakhshan has killed
   at least eleven police personnel.
   The bombing comes as America's peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, has begun
   another visit to the region to push political reconciliation between
   Afghanistan's warring sides.
   A provincial police spokesman told VOA the overnight attack targeted a
   security convoy that was rushing to Khash district to help other forces
   battling Taliban insurgents there.
   Sanaullah Ruhani said a local police commander was also among the slain
   personnel. He went on to claim that government forces inflicted heavy
   casualties on the Taliban during Friday night clashes in Khash, killing
   a key insurgent commander.
   The Taliban did not immediately offer any comments on the bombing or
   clashes in an Afghan province where insurgents are in control of
   several districts. Badakhshan borders Tajikistan, Pakistan and China.
   On Friday, an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan killed at least
   15 members of the highway police force.
   The Taliban has halted attacks on U.S.-led international forces in the
   country in line with a landmark agreement it signed with Washington in
   February. But deadly insurgent raids against Afghan security forces
   have intensified in recent weeks.
   The U.S. military this week also conducted airstrikes to disrupt
   Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces, saying they action was
   in line with the agreement.

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