At least 26 members of the Afghan security forces were killed and nine others were wounded in a series of Taliban attacks and explosions across four provinces, officials said on Wednesday.
The Taliban attacked two checkpoints in Gulran district of Herat province leaving 15 Afghan security force members dead and at least eight others wounded, provincial council member Toryalai Tahiri told dpa.
Meanwhile, a Taliban attack on a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Farah's provincial capital left three police officers dead and one injured on Tuesday evening, provincial councillor Shah Mahmood Naeemi said.
In another incident, a roadside bomb struck a police humvee in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, leaving five dead, provincial council member Ataullah Afghan confirmed.
In Ghazni province's Khogyani district, a mine explosion on Wednesday morning killed the district police chief along with two of his bodyguards, provincial council chief Nasir Ahmad Faqiri said.
Despite ongoing talks between the Taliban and the US, the militants frequently attack Afghan and international forces across the country.
According to experts, Taliban militants use gains on battlegrounds to further enhance their bargaining position.
At the same time, at least three Taliban militants were killed and six others were injured in a gun battle with Islamic State fighters in Chapa Dara district of eastern Kunar province, provincial councillor Din Mohammad Safi said.
The dead and injured militants were taken to hospital in the provincial capital, Mohammad added.
