Policemen beheaded by Taliban militants

Taliban militants beheaded seven policemen after overrunning their checkpoints in southern Afghanistan today, officials said.

Six other officers were missing after the Taliban attacked police checkpoints in Arghandab district, in Kandahar province, said Abdul Hakim Jan, a police officer.

The attack in the strategic area of Arghandab, 25 kilometres north of Kandahar city, comes weeks after Afghan and foreign troops forced the Taliban militants to relinquish control of the town.

They had briefly captured it following the death of pro-government tribal leader Mullah Naqib, who kept the insurgents out of his region.

During today’s attack, the militant briefly overran the police checkpoints set up to keep the Taliban fighters away from the town, and beheaded seven policemen, said a purported Taliban commander.