At least 16 dead in twin Taliban attacks on Afghan officers

April 23 (UPI) — Coordinated Taliban attacks in two cities in Afghanistan have killed at least 16 security officers, authorities said Monday.

Nine Afghan National Army soldiers were killed after Taliban militants stormed security checkpoints near the Badghis provincial capital of Qala-e-Naw on Sunday night.

In a simultaneous incident, seven Afghan National Police personnel died when the militants attacked security checkpoints in neighboring Qadis district.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Afghan security forces have seen increased casualties since the start of 2015, when Afghan police and soldiers assumed full responsibility for security — taking over from United States and NATO troops.

Badghis, in northwestern Afghanistan, is located near the country’s border with Turkmenistan. The attacks occurred in adjacent provincial districts, Qala-e-Naw and Qadia, and occurred the day after at least 57 people died in a bombing of a voter registration center in Kabul.

The Islamic State announced responsibility for the Kabul bombing.