A suicide car bombing on Monday killed 14 people, including 10 Afghan police officers, as the Taliban launched a large-scale attack on the capital in southern Helmand province, the heartland of the insurgency. Since the beginning of this year’s fighting season, the Taliban have expanded their footprint across most of the province and have been at the gates of the city of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, for weeks. According to Haji Marjan, the police chief of Nad Ali district who has been deployed to the provincial capital, the explosion happened around 11.30am, after the Taliban earlier targeted police checkpoints across the city. A doctor at the international emergency hospital in Lashkar Gah said 14 bodies had been brought to the clinic. Provincial officials have said the Taliban now control 85% of the province, while only a year ago, the government controlled 80%.

Source: Hindustan Times October 10, 2016 10:30 UTC