Taliban Attacks Kill At Least Seven Afghan Police

At least seven police officers have been killed in Taliban attacks in southern and western Afghanistan.

Officials said gunmen targeted a police checkpoint in Maiwand district of the southern province of Kandahar late on February 1, killing at least four officers.

In the western province of Herat, attackers targeted another checkpoint in Chashti Sharif district, killing at least three officers.

District police chief Ghulam Rasoul said a police officer assigned to the checkpoint disappeared after the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks on Afghan security forces in recent months.

U.S. and NATO forces formally ended their combat mission at the end of 2014, with Afghan troops taking charge of the country's security.

Several thousand Western troops, mostly American, remain.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa