Afghan forces repel attacks by Taliban on checkpoints

KABUL, Afghanistan – Hundreds of insurgents attacked Afghan police checkpoints in a remote northeastern province Tuesday with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades but failed to overrun the government positions, officials said.

The assault in Nuristan, a rugged and mountainous area province bordering Pakistan, is the second significant Taliban attack on Afghan government forces in less than four days and is part of the insurgents’ long-awaited spring offensive. The effectiveness of the Taliban’s campaign could affect the size of President Barack Obama’s planned drawdown of U.S. troops in July.

Nuristan province’s police chief, Gen. Shams-ul Rahman Zahid, said about 400 Taliban launched their assault at dawn, striking government security outposts around a base housing reserve police some 11 miles south of the provincial capital of Parun.

The gunbattles tapered off just before nightfall with the police still in control of the four checkpoints, which had been reinforced by more police from Parun, he said.

The Taliban launched the first major strike in its spring campaign over the weekend in the city of Kandahar, the economic hub of southern Afghanistan, hitting government buildings across the city in a full frontal assault. At least two dozen insurgents, two members of the Afghan security forces and one civilian were killed in two days of fighting in the city.

Violence also continued in other parts of Afghanistan. NATO said Tuesday that three of its service members were killed by roadside bombs, one on Tuesday in the east and two on Monday in the south. France confirmed one of the soldiers was French, and the other two were Romanians, their government said. Seven NATO troops have died this month, and 158 have been killed since the start of the year.

In southern Zabul province, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said one of its commando units killed five insurgents, including two Pakistanis.