HERAT: Two Taliban fighters who had infiltrated a base of pro-governmentAfghan militiamen killed 12 of them, officials and the insurgent group saidSaturday.

The night-time attack at a post manned by the militiamen occurred in thedistrict of Ghorian in the western Herat province late on Friday, thegovernor for the district Farhad Khademi told AFP.

“Twelve pro-government militiamen were killed in the Taliban attack inGhorian district last night,” he said.Herat provincial council member Mohammad Sardar Bahaduri confirmed theattack and said it was carried out by two Taliban fighters who hadinfiltrated the base.

“The militiamen were dining when the attack happened,” he said.

The Taliban also said two of its fighters had carried out the attack andthen returned.

In a separate incident, a vehicle carrying policemen was struck by aroadside bomb in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, police spokesmanFerdaws Faramarz told reporters.

Two policemen were killed and one wounded in the attack, he said.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent months, especially inKabul, which has been rocked by a new trend of targeted killings.

The bloodshed comes even as the Taliban and government negotiators engagein peace talks to end the nearly two-decades-long war in the country.

Representatives from two warring sides are currently in the Qatari capitalDoha discussing the agenda for the talks. – APP/AFP