More than 200 police and soldiers killed in last 10 days, Afghan officials say

Hundreds of members of Afghanistan’s security forces have been killed recently fighting insurgent attacks on the main city in the southern province of Helmand, officials said on Friday.

Hundreds of members of Afghanistan’s security forces have been killed recently fighting insurgent attacks on the main city in the southern province of Helmand, officials said on Friday.

Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, deputy head of the provincial council, and lawmaker Sheer Muhammad Akhon put the number of soldiers and police killed in the past 10 days in and around Lashkar Gah at more than 200.

Separately, they each said 45 civilians had also been killed in the fighting, which saw Taliban militants launch attacks on at least two areas of the city earlier this week.

Akhon said the U.S. military was present in the city, “but they are just monitoring and doing nothing.” The Americans have a mandate to train and assist Afghan forces in most battlefield situations. U.S. military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.