4 Afghan Police Killed, 13 Wounded in ISAF Air-Strikes

In ISAF air-strikes in the northern Jawzjan province on Saturday, 4 Afghan police soldiers were killed and 13 others were wounded, officials say

The incident occured on Saturday after a 6-hour clash between Afghan-coalition forces and the Taliban, Abdul Aziz Ghairat, the Police Chief of Jawzjan told TOLOnews.

The Afghan police forces were on their way home after the clashes, when they came under ISAF air-attacks.

According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior, 125 Afghan police forces have been killed and 291 others have been wounded in Afghanistan conflicts in July this year.

Jawzjan was considered one of the peaceful provinces in the north of Afghanistan, but insurgency has risen generally in many northern provinces recently inclduing Faryab and Sar-e-Pul that are bordered by Jawzjan.

In a recent incident, the Taliban had taken control of 6 villages in Khawaja Ketni area in Qaisar district of Faryab province, and a police checkpost in Kohistanat district of Sar-e-Pul province was also attacked by the Taliban.

Afghan and coalition forces have escalated their counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan's volatile regions, in an effort to wipe out Taliban militants and maintain security during the upcoming Afghan parliamentary elections.