Fierce fighting kills dozens in south Afghanistan

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers Session at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. The Brussels meeting is the final gathering of high-ranking government officials before the summit of NATO’s leaders scheduled for September in Wales. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his colleagues are expected to fine tune the summit’s agenda on a wide array of topics, from how to redeploy NATO’s forces in response to Russian capabilities and actions to what to do in Afghanistan when NATO’s combat mission in that country comes to an end this December. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center left, attends a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers Session at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. The Brussels meeting is the final gathering of high-ranking government officials before the summit of NATO’s leaders scheduled for September in Wales. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his colleagues are expected to fine tune the summit’s agenda on a wide array of topics, from how to redeploy NATO’s forces in response to Russian capabilities and actions to what to do in Afghanistan when NATO’s combat mission in that country comes to an end this December. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

By Associated Press June 25, 2014 3 min read

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) – Fierce fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters that has killed dozens of people has spread to three districts in a volatile southern province, officials said Wednesday.

The ongoing clashes in Helmand province come as the Islamic militant group has launched its so-called summer offensive, in which it takes advantage of warmer weather to step up attacks against the Western-backed government in a major test for President Hamid Karzai’s forces who are trying to show they can protect the people as the U.S. and its allies wind down their combat mission.

Taliban fighters began attacking police checkpoints in Helmand’s Sangin district on Sunday, forcing the government to send reinforcements to bolster the local security forces, officials said.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said Wednesday that the clashes had spread to two other districts, Kajaki and Nowzad.

At least 27 people – including five civilians, nine soldiers and 13 policemen – have been killed since the fighting began, provincial government spokesman Omar Zwak said. He said dozens of militants also had been killed, but he could not give a figure.