Herat - At least 11 Afghan soldiers were
killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, officials said on Monday, as
security forces face their first fighting season without Nato combat support.
"The Taliban ambushed a convoy of
soldiers in Karukh district of Herat, killing 11 Afghan army soldiers last
evening. The soldiers were riding in pickup trucks," Ehsanullah Hayat,
spokesperson for the governor of the western province of Herat, told AFP.
Najibullah Najibi, a spokesperson for the
army in western Afghanistan, confirmed the attack and said four soldiers were
also wounded.
There was no immediate claim of
responsibility, but Taliban militants have increased their attacks on Afghan
security forces since launching their annual spring offensive.
The Taliban launched their offensive, named
"Azm" [determination], in late April, vowing nationwide attacks in
what is expected to be the bloodiest summer in a decade.
Afghan security forces, stretched on
multiple fronts and facing record casualties, are struggling to rein in the
militants even as the government makes repeated efforts to jump-start peace
negotiations.
Nato's combat mission formally ended in
December after 13 years, but a small follow-up foreign force has stayed on to
train and support local security forces.
