At least nineteen--and as many as 30--Afghan security forces members were killed in separate Taliban attacks in northern Sar-e-Pul and central Logar provinces on Tuesday night, local officials said on Wednesday.

Eleven Afghan security forces were killed in clashes with the Taliban in Sar-e-Pul province in Sozma Qala and Sancharak districts when the Taliban attacked security checkpoints, said Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor. “The clashes continued for three hours and most of the fighters came from Jawzjan province,” Amani said. 

The Taliban also took casualties but “we don’t have the exact number,” he added.

A security source told TOLOnews on Wednesday afternoon that 19 police had been killed at the Mes Aynak Copper Mine in Logar province on Tuesday night, but earlier, Qadir Mufti, a spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said eight security forces had been killed.

And in Kandahar, "at least 31 Taliban'"were killed in an attack on security checkpoints in Zherai, Meyanshen and Spin Boldak districts of Kandahar province on Tuesday night, Kandahar police confirmed on Wednesday, adding that “seven Afghan forces were also wounded in the attacks.”

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for Sar-e-Pul but has not commented on the attacks in Kandahar and Logar.