'Taliban' rebels kill eight troops

Suspected Taliban rebels fired rockets and machine guns at a checkpoint manned by Afghan soldiers in a remote southwestern region of the country, killing eight troops in the nighttime attack, the area’s governor said today.

The attackers were riding in three cars that were stopped at the checkpoint.

They pretended to be normal travellers, but jumped out of the cars and opened fire when troops approached them, Abdul Karim Baravi, governor of Nimroz province, said.

The attack late on Friday occurred on the Del Aram Road at the last checkpoint before neighbouring Farah province, about 465 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul. One soldier was injured but survived.

“This is a terrible attack because they killed innocent soldiers who were only serving the people,” said Baravi.

He said troops from a nearby checkpoint in Farah gave chase after hearing the shooting, but lost the suspects.

Baravi called for help from the international community to bring stability to the region.

The attack comes as the United States-led military coalition is seeking to improve security, especially in the lawless south and east, ahead of landmark presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

The coalition has also promised an extensive sweep to capture al Qaida and Taliban leaders.

Nimroz, along a famous smuggling route where the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan meet, had been relatively quiet since a January 12 attack by dozens of suspected Taliban fighters against a police checkpoint in which four officers were killed.