Sixteen Policemen Surrender To Taliban In Southern Afghan Province Of Zabul - Source

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Sixteen Policemen Surrender to Taliban in Southern Afghan Province of Zabul - Source

KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2020) Sixteen Afghan policemen have surrendered to the Taliban after the militant organization captured territory in the southern province of Zabul, an anonymous source told a Sputnik correspondent on Sunday.

"After heavy fighting and a siege on Saturday morning, 16 policemen surrendered to the Taliban, along with 25 weapons," the source said.

On Saturday, the Taliban published a statement claiming that the militant organization had seized control areas of Zabul province.

Gul islam Sial, a spokesman for the Zabul governor, acknowledged that the Taliban had stormed an Afghan National Army checkpoint in the region, but did not provide any additional details.

The Taliban group has been waging a war against the Afghan government for years, challenging stability and security in the region. As a result, terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda (both banned in Russia), have also spread across the country.