The Afghan government arrested dozens of police officers for corruption and aiding Taliban militants in western Afghanistan, while nine Taliban were killed in a clash with Afghan and NATO forces, officials said Tuesday. The police in western Farah province arrested at least 40 policemen from five checkpoints on Monday after 12 of them deserted and went off to unknown locations, Deputy Provincial Governor Mohammad Younus Rasouli said. He said the policemen were suspected of having connections with Taliban militants and were involved in crimes including highway robbery.
However, Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousif Ahmadi said that Shir Khan Kandahari, a police commander along with his 35 officers surrendered to their fighters near Farah city late Monday. Ahmadi, who was speaking by phone from an undisclosed location, said that the policemen vowed to fight the Afghan and foreign forces in the country alongside the Taliban.
Defection to Taliban militants occurred among the Afghan security forces in the past, but if confirmed, this would be the first time that such a big number changed allegiance.
In another incident, nine militants were killed in Nawa district of Helmand province after they attacked an Afghan police checkpoint in the area on Monday, Assadullah Shirzad, provincial police chief, said. NATO-led British troops stationed in the province rushed to the scene of the battle and engaged the militants, Shirzad said, adding that there were no casualties among the Afghan police or NATO forces.
Shirzad said the combined forces recovered the militants' bodies along with their AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
The Taliban said in a statement posted on their website that only three of their fighters were killed and another three wounded. The statement said 19 British soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. The Taliban often give different accounts the clashes. In many cases their information turns out to to be exaggerated or falsified.