Taliban kill 12 pro-govt militiamen

HERAT: Two Taliban fighters, who had infiltrated a base of pro-government Afghan militiamen, killed 12 of them, officials and the insurgent group said Saturday.

The night-time attack at a post manned by the militiamen occurred in the district of Ghorian in the western Herat province late on Friday, the governor for the district Farhad Khademi said. "Twelve pro-government militiamen were killed in the Taliban attack in Ghorian district last night," he said.

Herat provincial council member Mohammad Sardar Bahaduri confirmed the attack and said it was carried out by two Taliban fighters who had infiltrated the base. "The militiamen were dining when the attack happened," he said.

The Taliban also said two of its fighters had carried out the attack and then returned.

In a separate incident, a vehicle carrying policemen was struck by a roadside bomb in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters. Two policemen were killed and one wounded in the attack, he said.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent months, especially in Kabul, which has been rocked by a new trend of targeted killings.

Meanwhile, the Taliban welcomed the latest withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan with the insurgents´ spokesman Saturday calling the continued reduction of American forces a "good advancement" even as fighting raged across the war-weary country.

The Taliban´s statement came just hours after the Pentagon announced it had cut troop levels in Afghanistan to 2,500, their lowest numbers during the nearly two decades of fighting.

Washington struck a deal with the Taliban in Qatar last year to begin withdrawing its troops in return for security guarantees from the militants and a commitment to peace talks with Kabul. Those talks are ongoing, but have stalled amid violence and allegations of slow progress.

Meanwhile the Taliban has continued its lethal assaults on Afghan security forces and civilians alike.

"The withdrawal of other US forces from Afghanistan, which was announced by the US yesterday, is a good advancement and practical measure," tweeted Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem. "Undoubtedly, the practice of the agreement signed between the IEA and the US is in the benefit of both countries and nations," he added, referring to the Taliban´s official acronym.

Outgoing President Donald Trump, seeking to fulfil a campaign promise to end the US wars launched in Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 attacks, had ordered force levels to be slashed in both countries to that level by January 15 -- despite initial pushback from the Pentagon.

Both the Taliban and Afghan government however are anxiously eyeing the arrival of President-elect Joe Biden in Washington and any new policy directions that might be implemented by the incoming administration.